FIESTA TIME

Summer is the perfect time to party Mexican style. Carne asada, smoky calamari and spicy chicken tacos meet zingy cocktails for good times galore

Prawn and avocado with lime

Carne asada tacos with arbol chilli salsa

Calamari and corn tacos with salsa verde

Prawn and avocado with lime

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

1.3kg medium uncooked king prawns, peeled and deveined Juice of 3-4 limes 2 avocados, diced ½ telegraph cucumber, cut into 1cm dice 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped 1⁄3 cup coriander, coarsely chopped Corn chips, to serve

1 Par-cook prawns in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until colour changes and they become opaque (1-2 minutes). Drain, reserving 60ml cooking water. Coarsely chop prawns, place in a bowl with reserved cooking water and cool completely. 2 Add lime juice to prawns, toss to combine and season to taste. Prawns can be prepared a day ahead and kept chilled. 3 Toss remaining ingredients through the prawn mixture, season to taste, and serve with corn chips.

Corn tortillas

MAKES 16

INGREDIENTS

250g white masa flour 375ml water ¼ tsp salt

1 Combine flour, water and salt in a bowl and mix with your hands to a soft pliable dough (2 minutes), adding more water or flour if necessary. Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. 2 Divide dough into 16 pieces and roll each in a walnut-sized ball. Heat a heavy castiron or non-stick pan over high heat. Line a tortilla press (see Note) with plastic wrap. 3 Working with one ball of dough at a time, place in the press, top with another piece of plastic wrap and press to flatten into a disc. Remove top piece of plastic, then carefully hold tortilla flat to remove the other piece and gently place tortilla in pan. 4 Cook tortilla, turning once, until it starts to turn golden and puffs up a little (1-2 minutes each side, depending on the pan). Transfer cooked tortillas to a warm dish and cover with a damp tea towel while you press and cook remaining tortillas. Tortillas are best served straight from the pan, but can be reheated, wrapped in a damp tea towel, in a very low oven. Note: Tortilla presses are sold at kitchenware stores.

Calamari and corn tacos with salsa verde

MAKES 16

INGREDIENTS

3 corn cobs, husks and silks removed Neutral-flavoured oil, such as olive oil or grapeseed oil, for brushing 6 calamari (about 150g each), cleaned, hoods halved lengthways and patted dry with paper towels 16 tortillas, to serve Edible flowers (optional), sour cream and hot sauce, to serve

SALSA VERDE

1 spring onion, finely chopped 1 jalapeno, finely chopped Juice of 1 lime ½ cup coriander, coarsely chopped ¼ cup neutral-flavoured oil, such as grapeseed

1 Preheat a barbecue, preferably charcoal, or a char-grill pan to high. Brush corn with oil and cook, turning occasionally, until slightly charred and kernels are tender (15-20 minutes). Cool briefly, then slice off kernels with a sharp knife. 2 For the Salsa Verde, combine ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. 3 Brush calamari with oil and grill, turning occasionally until charred, opaque and just cooked through (3-4 minutes). Cut into bite-sized pieces and serve in tortillas with corn, sour cream, hot sauce, Salsa Verde and edible flowers.

Carne asada tacos with arbol chilli salsa

MAKES 16

INGREDIENTS

3 rib-eye steaks, pounded to 2cm thick, at room temperature Olive oil or grapeseed oil, for brushing 16 corn tortillas, to serve Crumbled feta, coarsely chopped coriander and shredded white cabbage, to serve Coarsely mashed avocado, seasoned with lime juice and salt, to serve Lime wedges, to serve

ARBOL CHILLI SALSA

10 dried arbol chillies (see Tip), cut coarsely with scissors 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced ½ onion, finely chopped Juice of 1 lime ¼ cup coriander, coarsely chopped

Tip Dried arbol chillies are small, hot Mexican chillies available from supermarkets and specialty Mexican stores.

1 For the Arbol Chilli Salsa, dry-roast chillies until fragrant (20-40 seconds) and transfer to a small food processor. Add garlic to pan and stir until it starts to turn golden (1 minute), then add to food processor with chilli and blend until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and pulse once or twice until just combined but still coarse. 2 Preheat a barbecue to high. Brush steaks with oil, season to taste and grill, turning occasionally, until charred and cooked to your liking (10-12 minutes for medium-rare). Rest in a warm place (5-10 minutes), slice and serve with tortillas, salsa, feta, coriander, cabbage, avocado and lime wedges.

Chicken tinga tacos

MAKES 16

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken (about 1.4kg), quartered 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted and finely ground 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 400g tomatoes, finely chopped 3 chipotle chillies in adobo, finely chopped 16 tortillas, to serve Sour cream, thinly sliced radish, finely chopped onion, shredded coriander and lime halves to serve

1 Preheat oven to 240°C. Toss chicken in half the oil in a roasting pan, season with salt and roast until golden and juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a skewer (45-50 minutes). Cool briefly. 2 Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cumin and stir until onion is softened and starting to turn golden (7-8 minutes). Add garlic, stir until fragrant (20-30 seconds), then add tomato and chipotle chilli and simmer until slightly thickened (4-5 minutes). 3 Shred chicken (discard bones) and add to sauce. Deglaze roasting pan with 50ml water, scraping base of pan, and pour pan juices into sauce. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens a little (5-6 minutes). Season to taste. 4 Serve chicken tinga in warm tortillas with sour cream, radish, onion, coriander and lime.

Tres leches cake with roasted peaches

SERVES 14-20

INGREDIENTS

Butter, for greasing 240g plain flour, sifted 1½ tsp baking powder 5 eggs 210g caster sugar Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean 450ml milk 395g canned condensed milk 400ml canned evaporated milk Whipped cream and maraschino cherries, to serve

ROASTED PEACHES

5 peaches, cut into thin wedges 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped ¼ cup caster sugar Juice of ½ lime

1 Preheat oven to 175°C and butter a 20cm x 30cm baking dish. Sift flour, baking powder and ¼ tsp salt into a bowl. Whisk eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until thick and pale (7-8 minutes). Fold in flour mixture in batches, then vanilla and 50ml milk until smooth. Spoon batter into prepared dish and bake until golden and a skewer inserted withdraws clean (25-30 minutes). Prick cake all over with a skewer. 2 Whisk condensed milk, evaporated milk and remaining milk in a jug to combine well, then pour evenly over cake. Cool cake to room temperature (1-1½ hours), then cover and refrigerate to soak (4 hours or overnight). 3 For the Roasted Peaches, preheat oven to 200°C. Spread peach wedges on a baking tray lined with baking paper, add vanilla, sprinkle with sugar and squeeze over lime juice. Toss to coat and roast until golden and caramelised (20-25 minutes). Cool. 4 Cut cake into squares, top each square with whipped cream and a cherry, then serve with Roasted Peaches.

Tres leches cake with roasted peaches

Tip The success of a michelada is all in the balance. Taste and go until it’s spot on.

Michelada

Pink margarita

Michelada

MAKES 2

What can be more refreshing than a cold beer on a hot day? Answer: a cold beer with a splash of lime juice and a dash of hot sauce. Like most things, the success of a michelada is all in the balance. Taste and go until the mix is spot on.

INGREDIENTS

Sea salt flakes Juice of 1 lime (reserve one squeezed lime half), plus lime slices to serve 1 x 330ml pilsner or pale lager, preferably Mexican, chilled Pinch of cayenne pepper Hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, to serve 1 Pour salt into a small bowl to the depth of about 1cm. Rub reserved lime half around the rim of two chilled beer glasses, then dip rims in salt flakes to lightly coat. 2 Half-fill glasses with beer, add lime juice and top with ice. Add remaining ingredients to taste, stir with a swizzle stick and serve topped with a slice of lime.

Pink margarita

MAKES 1

Margaritas are a true party starter, and while we love a classic, a jigger of grapefruit juice in the mix adds another layer to the sharpness of lime, and turns these blushing pink.

INGREDIENTS

Sea salt flakes 30ml lime juice (reserve one squeezed lime half) 45ml tequila 30ml pink grapefruit juice 15ml Cointreau Thinly sliced pink grapefruit or lime wedges, to serve

1 Pour salt into a small bowl to the depth of about 1cm. Rub reserved lime half around the rim of a chilled coupe or margarita glass, then dip rim in salt to lightly coat. 2 Combine tequila, grapefruit and lime juices and Cointreau in a cocktail shaker and add ice to three-quarters full. Shake until well chilled, then strain into glass and serve with a slice of grapefruit or lime wedge.