The day before
5 minutes

If you are using conventional beans, soak them overnight. If you are using beans you know are fresh (such as Rancho Gordo, beans in a country where a lot of beans are eaten, or beans from a farmer’s market) then you can cook them without soaking them.

Mise en place
30 minutes

Break down the chicken: If you’ve never broken down a chicken, this is going to be fun. Find a video or some instruction on Youtube that shows you how to break it down so that you have 2 breasts, 2 legs, and a nice clean carcass.

For the chicken stock: Chop one onion and one bulb of fennel.

For the salsa Mexicana: Chop 1 white onion, step and seed 2 serrano chiles, chop 2 garlic cloves, core and seed 5 roma tomatoes (discard the juices), mince 5g cilantro leaves.

For the salsa verde: Remove the husks from 10 small tomatillos. Rinse the tomatillos and cut them in half. Cut the tops off of 2-4 serrano chiles and cut them in half. Remove the seeds or, if you prefer your salsa hot, leave the serranos intact without their stems. Cut a white onion in half, dice half and leave the other half intact. Peel a large garlic clove. Chop 10g cilantro.

For the leek and potato soup: Core and quarter 2 roma tomatoes. Cut 1 leek in half lengthways and wash thoroughly. Cut the white parts only into 1/8-inch thick slices. Peel and dice 1 potato or cut it into thin sticks.

For the mole: Quarter 1/2 a white onion. Stem, core, and seed 2 serrano chiles. Cut 1lb green beans into 1-inch pieces.

Start cooking
3.5 hours

Start the caldo de pollo
Camara makes her stock using chicken breasts, but we need chicken for the mole so I’m calling to break down a whole chicken and use the carcass and wings. If you prefer to use chicken breast, make sure they are bone in, and then reserve the meat after you make the stock.

In a large stockpot, combine the onion, 2 cloves of garlic, the fennel, 2 carrots, 2 bay leaves, the chicken carcass and wings, about 5 cups of water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to boil and then decrease the heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Start your beans
Rinse 3 cups of beans and remove any debris. Place them in a medium pot and cover with 4 inches of water above the beans. Add 1 garlic clove and 2 sprigs of epazote, avocado leaf, or 1 tbsp dried oregano or marjoram. Bring the eater to a boil and them immediately decrease the heat to maintain a low simmer and cover the pot.

Make the salsa Mexicana
Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and chiles and sauté until the onions is translucent but not browned. Add the garlic, tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and blend until completely pureed. Return the mixture to the pan and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by about one-third. Add cilantro and salt. Store. This salsa is served hot and can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Check in on the beans
After 30 minutes, stir your beans to make sure the ones on the bottom are rotated with the ones on the top. Add more water if needed to maintain 2 to 3 inches over the top of the beans. Cover and simmer.

Make the crema ácida
In a glass jar, combine 2 cups of cream with 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Cover the mouth of the jar with several layers of cheesecloth or a dish towel and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature. If your home is chilly, you can set the jar on top of the refrigerator or in the oven with the light one. After 24 hours, screw on the lid of the jar and refrigerate 24 hours before using. This will last in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Check in on the beans again
Taste one bean for doneness. They probably won’t be done yet, but you should start testing them every ten minutes, stirring gently each time and adding more water if needed. They should cook until they’re a bit softer than you think they should be but are still whole with their skins intact. When they’re cooked, add salt to taste.

Make the salsa de chile manzano
Preheat the broiler. Place the 6 to 8 manzano chiles on a baking sheet and broil for 15-20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes and rotating with tongs so they get evenly charred. they should slump, feel completely soft, and be blackened in spots.
Transfer the chiles to a plastic bag or a closed container to sweat so the skins loosen and peel away more easily. Once they are cool, put on gloves and use your thumbs to slit them open. Remove the stems and black seeds. Peel the chiles and discard the skins. Transfer to a blender and puree until it is as smooths as possible. Add 2 tsp salt. With the blender running, drizzle in (slowly!) 120ml extra virgin olive oil. The mixture should emulsify to the consistency of mustard. Taste for salt and store in the fridge. It will last for up to 2 weeks.

Make the salsa verde
Put all the vegetables you prepped except the diced onion and cilantro along with 1 tbsp sea salt into a medium saucepan. Cover with just enough water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the tomatillos become more translucent and the chiles have going from bright green to faded khaki colour. Put everything in a blender including the liquid and puree. Return to the saucepan and simmer over low heat until reduced by about one-third. Cool and then add the minced onion and cilantro. Taste for salt. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Finish the stock
Line a colander with several layers of cheese cloth and set it over a bowl. Strain the stock, and chill, reserving x cups for the leek soup and x for the mole.

Make the Leek soup
In the jar of a blender, combine 1 garlic clove, the roma tomatoes, 600ml chicken stock (caldo de pollo), 1/2 tbsp sea salt and blend to liquify. In a large Dutch oven, warm 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the leeks and fry until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the contents of the blender and the potatoes and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Taste and add more salt if needed. Cool and store.

Make the mole
In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast 150g pumpkin seeds until they turn golden brown, being careful to stir them regularly so they don’t burn. In a jar of a blender, grind the pumpkin seeds. Add the onion, 1 garlic clove, and the serrano chiles. Pulse to puree. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup of cilantro stems and leaves. Pulse to liquefy. Pour the content of the blender in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is simmering, about 15 minutes. Cool and store.

Refry some beans
Store about two-thirds your beans and their water in the fridge for later in the week. Take the other third and drain, reserving the liquid. Mash the beans to a coarse paste with a potato masher or fork. Gradually add in a few tablespoons up to about half a cup of the cooking liquid as you mash to obtain the consistency you want.

Warm 1/8 cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1/2 a white onion, minced. Cook until translucent but not brown. Add the beans and 1/4 tsp salt and stir for about 5 minutes. Drizzle in more cooking liquid if needed to maintain consistency. The beans should form a thick but creamy paste. Cool and store.

Roast the poblano chiles

On an ungreased skillet or comal over a high heat, char 4 poblano chiles, turning them every couple of minutes. You’re looking for uniform blistering, but you don’t want to become too soggy in the process. Once they’re uniformly blistered, and before the flesh is charred through completely, put them in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid and let it sweat for 10 minutes. Remove the skin from the chiles, trying not to puncture them. Use a sharp knife to slice into the pepper on only one side, reach in and remove all the seeds, leaving the stem intact. Store in the fridge.

Pico de gallo

This recipe will make 2 cups, so depending on what you are making it for you might want to halve it. Of course, no one ever suffered from having some pico in their fridge for an afternoon snack.

Dice half an avocado, half a white onion, and 3 Roma tomatoes. Mince 1 tbsp cilantro leaves, and 1 serrano chile (with or without seeds). In a bowl, gently stir together the vegetables, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp salt.

Tortillas

This book is a lot about masa, and its versatility. There is a deep respect for masa underpinning Camara’s philosophy as it’s watching women make tortillas that she credits with falling for food in her childhood. She’s a masa expert, and so I recommend reading the whole section in the book and even checking out her masterclass.

Whether using masa harina or fresh masa, you want to paste to be the consistency of stiff cookie dough. So add water a little at a time until you get there. You are cooking without oil so if you have a comal, amazing, otherwise a plancha or skillet will do the trick. Heat it over medium heat.

Sandwich a golf-ball-sized ball of masa between two sheets of plastic (cut a ziploc on two sides, leaving it attached on only one side and put your masa in between the two flaps) and press with a tortilla press, or if you’re like me and you don’t have one, flatten with a dutch oven or other heavy pan on your counter (this will not yield an even tortilla unless you’re really good at it). This is the part now that requires practice. You will have a little tortilla that is flattened between two sheets of paper. Put it in your non-dominant hand and gently peel off the first layer of plastic. Flip it to your dominant hand and peel off the second side of plastic and then put the raw tortilla on your comal, plancha, or skillet.

Watch for the edge of the tortilla to turn opaque. This is how you know it’s cooking. After about 30 to 45 seconds, flip it to the other side and let it cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Now flip it back to the original side for another 30 seconds. If you’re really good at it, when you flip it the last time it will start to puff a little. I could not get this to happen with any regularity using Maseca and without a press because I believe the tortillas were too thick but they were still delicious. The book has a ton of troubleshooting techniques so I really recommend diving into it.

Huevos Pochados en Sope de Frijoles

You will need to make some fresh pico de gallo and tortillas for serving (see above). If you’re making this before the chilaquiles, I recommend making a couple extra tortillas and storing them in the fridge.

In a saucepan using an immersion blender, blend half of the liquidy beans that you prepped and enough bean broth so that you get the consistency of creamy soup, not refried beans.

Bring the pureed beans to a boil over medium heat, then decrease the heat to low and simmer.

Crack an egg into a measuring cup. Lower into the simmering bean soup, submerging the bottom of the measuring cup in the soup and then easing the egg out. Repeat with 3 more eggs.

Cook for 4 minutes for a well-set white and runny yolks.

To plate, ladle each egg with the bean soup into individual serving bowls. Top with a sprinkle of salt and a spoonful of pico de gallo. Serve with tortillas.

Huevos a la Mexicana

Make some tortillas for serving (see above). If you’re making this before the chilaquiles, I recommend making a couple extra and storing them in the fridge.

Warm half of the Salsa Mexicana that you prepped in a skillet over medium heat. Warm the remaining liquidy beans that you made over a medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk 4 eggs and 1/4 tsp salt. Add 40g chevre, cut into 1/2-inch rounds and keep whisking until it’s fairly well incorporated.

In a large skillet over low heat, melt 1/2 tbsp butter. Add the egg-cheese mixture and cook, stirring constantly so that the eggs stay moist and creamy. Continuously agitate the eggs while they cook, never letting them stick to the bottom of the pan. When the scrambled eggs are a creamy yellow and just beginning to set, remove the pan from the heat and top with the hot salsa.

Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately with beans, tortillas and avocado.

Chilaquiles

You will need about 6 tortillas for this recipe so hopefully you have some leftovers but if not, make a couple tortillas.

Cut 6 tortillas into 6 to 8 wedges each. Finely mince 30g white onion, mince 5g cilantro leaves, cube 40g feta cheese.

Warm 1/2 tbsp safflower or other neutral frying oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Pour 430ml salsa verde in and let it cook at a low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, thickening slightly.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm 2” of safflower oil. Line a plate with a brown paper bag or paper towels. Working in a couple of batches so as not to overcrowd them, lower the tortillas into the oil with a slotted spoon and fry them until they’re crispy. You really want crispy here because if they’re chewy they’re going to be hard to eat and disappointing. Once they’re brown and crispy but not overcooked, transfer them to the plate to drain. Transfer the remaining oil (about 1/4 cup) to the frying pan where you’re going to cook your eggs.

Remove your salsa from the heat and wait for it to stop simmering. Add 30g crema ácida to the salsa and stir until well incorporated. Drop all your chips into the pan. Stir once or twice to coat with sauce, being very gentle. As soon as they have absorbed most of the sauce, stop stirring.

Warm the oil in the frying pan until sizzling. Once hot, crack 2 eggs into the pan. Using a spoon, basted the whites with hot oil while they’re frying, making sure they’re cooked completely and crispy at the edges. The eggs should cook in about 1 minute. Depending on how many eggs you want, you could move these to a plate and fry another couple of eggs.

Spread a cup of the saucy chips on each plate. Top each with 1-2 fried eggs and garnish with onion, cilantro, feta, and avocado.

Leek and potato soup

Warm the soup. Divide between two bowls and garnish with the leaves of a few sprigs of oregano or thyme.

Pescadillas

You will serve these with guacamole, so use the recipe above to prep that.

Chop 70g onion and 2 garlic cloves. Core and dice 1 roma tomato. Slice 230g wahoo or mackerel. Mince 40g epazote or cilantro.

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and bring all the ingredients to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the fish, epazote, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until the fish is cooked and the majority of the moisture from the tomatoes and onion has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.

Make a golf ball-size ball of masa the same way you would when making a tortilla and press it the same way. Once the dough is flattened between the two sheets of plastic wrap, remove the top sheet but leave the bottom sheet.

Make sure the fish filling isn’t too wet. Pour off any excess liquid. Place a spoonful in the middle of the masa disk, and then user the plastic wrap to fold over and pinch the edges together to seal. Repeat to make another 2-3.

Line a plate with a brown paper page or paper towel. In a large heavy-bottom skillet or wok, heat a couple inches of grapeseed or safflower oil to 350˚F/180˚C. Gently place the pescadilla in the oil and fry until golden, 8-10 minutes. Do not crowd the pescadillas in the pan or they’ll stick together. Transfer the browned pescadillas to the plate and let them cool slightly.

Serve with guacamole and lime.

If you have extra fish filling like I did, you can make a tostada from page 253 of the book or use it as a taco filling with some fresh tortillas and guacamole.

Tortitas de Plátano Macho con Frijoles

Place 2 half-yellow, half-black (but not soft) plantains, pointy tips cut off, in a saucepan large enough to fit them. Add water to cover and 1/2 tbsp salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the boiled plantains from the water. Once they’re cool enough to hanfle, peel them and remove their seeds, which should slip right out. Place the plantains in a medium bowl and mash them. Taste to make sure they’re salty enough and add salt if needed. Add the 1tbsp all purpose flour and 20g grated Cotija or ricotta salata.

Oil your hands slightly so the plantain doesn’t stick on your hands. For the plantain paste into round or oval patties with slightly raised edges. Put 1 tbsp refried beans at the centre of each patty and then push the edges closed to seal it in. This should make 4 patties.

Line a plate with a brown paper bag. In a large, heavy-bottom skillet or wok, heat 1 cup vegetable oil to about 275˚F/135˚C. Because plantains have so much sugar in them, they’ll burn easily (see photos). Gently lower in as many as you can without crowding them. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until they’re golden brown. Using tongs, transfer the fritters to the plate to drain.

Serve with salsa verde or another salsa of your choosing.