Clark - Mexicana!: for the love of tacos, nachos and all things fiesta

Australia HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd. Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia http://www.harpercollins.com.au Canada HarperCollins Canada Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower 22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor Toronto, ON, M5H 4E3, Canada http://www.harpercollins.ca India HarperCollins India A 75, Sector 57 Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201 301, India http://www.harpercollins.co.in New Zealand HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited P.O. Box 1 Auckland, New Zealand http://www.harpercollins.co.nz United Kingdom HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF http://www.harpercollins.co.uk United States HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 195 Broadway New York, NY 10007 http://www.harpercollins.com Im so lucky to be surrounded by positivity and support regarding my lovely job, if you can call this a job! Firstly, I want to thank my dreamy group of friends who always encourage me to cook, write and feed them.

From my guy pals back in Brighton to best friends in Edinburgh and my friends in London, thank you all for your unwavering support. To those who I went to cookery school with, Im so lucky to have found people that understand how important food is in life; you all know who you are. Thanks also to Zanna and Nathan who lived with me over the months of flipping tacos, stuffing empanadas into their mouths and smearing guacamole round our little east London kitchen. Thanks for always being so great and making me laugh so much. A huge thank you to Lydia Good who gave me the opportunity to write this fun book! And also to James, Georgina and the amazing team at HarperCollins who have worked so hard. Youve always been so chilled about everything and enthusiastic about my ideas, so thanks so much.

To lovely Faith Mason who shot the photographs in this book, ever the perfectionist and now someone who I call a firm friend. Thank you to Alex for the props; you put together my vision, what more can you ask for? Thanks to my mates Nicola and Katie for our week of shooting together on the hottest spring week ever recorded! Youre both too much fun in the kitchen. A special thank you to my friend and fellow writer Rosie Reynolds who champions everything I do. You taught me that food is about being true to yourself; it can be fun, tacky, nostalgic and messy but still bloomin beautiful! Finally, I want to thank my little family. My sisters who are always excited about my cooking and general life in London and always have been. But most of all my lovely mum and dad who, for as long as I can remember, have let me feel my way through life without any pressure.

They have always encouraged me to do exactly what I want in life, and have shown me support that is unwavering. It began many years before they sent me off to London to cookery school. Ill never be able to thank you both enough. HOMEMADE SOFT CORN TORTILLAS

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Making a corn tortilla can be a little tricky to master at first, but once you get into the swing of things youll be churning them out in no time. Masa harina, a fine flour made from corn (maize), is essential to this recipe. Its available online and in specialist food shops.

A good tip is to keep the flour in the freezer once opened, as it goes bad pretty quickly. Its also easier to get a better-shaped tortilla if you use a tortilla press, which you can easily order online. MAKES 12 X 15CM (6IN) TORTILLAS PREP: 15 MINUTES, PLUS RESTING COOK: 15 MINUTES 220g (7oz/1 cups) masa harina flour tsp fine salt 260270ml (99fl oz/generous 1 cup) warm water You may need a tortilla press (optional) 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in 260ml (9fl oz/1 cup) of the warm water. Combine with a wooden spoon; you should be left with a soft dough that is easy to handle and not too sticky add more water if it feels dry.

Knead briefly until the dough is smooth and easy to handle. Place in a bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes in a warm spot. 2. Divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Cut a plastic sandwich bag in half to create two square sheets. Place a dough ball between the plastic sheets and press in a tortilla press, or roll with a rolling pin, into a round about 15cm (6in) in diameter.

If youre using a tortilla press, you may need to turn the tortilla and re-press several times to obtain the desired size. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Set the tortillas aside in a stack, separating each one with a piece of baking parchment to stop them sticking to each other. 3. Heat a heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Cook the tortillas one at a time for around 30 seconds on each side or until beginning to brown slightly.

Stack the tortillas up and cover with foil; this will help them to keep warm and soft until ready to use. If not eating the tortillas immediately, keep them wrapped in foil and store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours, then reheat on both sides in a small dry frying pan. BAJA FISH TACOS

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Originating in sunny California, Baja fish tacos consist of white fish deep-fried in a crisp batter and piled onto tortillas with crunchy red cabbage and lime. If youre going to make one tacos recipe for your mates, this is the one! SERVES 46 PREP: 20 MINUTES, PLUS CHILLING COOK: 20 MINUTES 150g (5oz/1 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 75g (3oz/ cup) cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika 200ml250ml (79fl oz/1 cup) ice-cold beer (such as Mexican Sol) 600g (1lb 5oz) skinless and boneless cod loin, cut into 3cm (1in) chunks 1.5 litres (2 pints/6 cups) vegetable oil large red cabbage, finely shredded Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve Leaves of 1 small bunch of coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped 12 x 15cm (6in) soft corn tortillas, homemade () or shop-bought 6 tbsp Chipotle Aioli or 1 large fresh red chilli, finely sliced 6 tbsp Fine salt 1. Sift the flour, cornflour and paprika into a bowl and add teaspoon of salt. Make a well in the centre and slowly whisk in enough of the cold beer to create a thick batter.

Cover and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. 2. In a serving bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage with the lime juice and half the coriander. Season generously with salt. 3. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fryer, or in a large, deep heavy-based saucepan filled no more than two-thirds full, until the oil reaches 190C (375F) on a cooking thermometer.

Alternatively, drop in a small cube of bread to check that the oil is hot enough; it should turn golden brown within 10 seconds. 4. Dip each piece of cod into the batter and gently shake off any excess. Carefully place in the hot oil using a slotted spoon and cook in batches, for 4 minutes per batch. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper (paper towels) while you cook the remaining fish. 5.

Warm the tortillas through in a small dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat, keeping a stack warm, wrapped in foil, in a low oven while you heat the rest. Top each one with a smear of aioli, followed by some of the battered fish, dressed red cabbage and sliced red chilli. Finish with a bundle of pickled onions and some of the remaining coriander, plus a wedge of lime to squeeze over. CRISPY SQUID AND SUNSHINE SALAD TACOS

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Perfect for a summer lunch, corn tortillas are spread with a generous slick of homemade Chipotle Aioli () before being topped with squid thats been tossed in seasoned flour and deep-fried until crisp. The tacos are then piled with handfuls of fresh herby salad mixed with juicy orange segments and pomegranate seeds. SERVES 46 PREP: 35 MINUTES COOK: 15 MINUTES 500g (1lb 2oz) squid, gutted and cleaned 1.5 litres (2 pints/6 cups) sunflower oil 5 heaped tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour tsp hot chilli powder 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika 12 x 15cm (6cm) soft corn tortillas, homemade () or shop-bought 6 tbsp Chipotle Aioli () or 5 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise mixed with 1 tbsp chipotle chilli paste FOR THE SALAD Leaves of 1 large bunch of parsley, torn Leaves of 1 small bunch of coriander (cilantro), torn 1 large banana shallot, sliced into thin rounds 2 small oranges 2 large handfuls of pomegranate seeds Juice of 2 limes 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Fine salt and black pepper 1.Next page