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Fried mini tacos
Makes 20 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1 long green chilli
- 3 green tomatoes or kumatos
- 2 coriander stems, stems and leaves separated and chopped
- 1 avocado, stone removed
- 1tbsp pickled jalapeños from a jar, plus 1tbsp pickle juice
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1tbsp finely grated lime zest, plus 2tbsp lime juice, and extra wedges (optional), to serve
- 1 spring onion, roughly
- chopped
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 x 410g can young jackfruit, drained and broken up
- 1tbsp Mexican seasoning (see recipe, left)
- 60ml good-quality vegetable stock
- 25g salted butter
- 1 1⁄2tbsp flour
- 60ml milk, plus extra if needed
- 200g cheddar, grated
- 1tbsp finely snipped chives
- 20 Asian pancakes or mini tortillas/soft tacos
- 500ml vegetable oil, to fry
- chilli sauce, to serve (optional)
Method
Burn the green chilli skin over a naked stove top flame or under the grill. Using a food processor, blitz the green chilli, tomatoes or kumatos, half of the chopped coriander stems and a pinch of salt until puréed. Set aside.
In the same processor,
blend the remaining coriander
stems, the avocado, jalapeños,
pickle juice, 1tbsp of the
olive oil, 1tbsp of the lime juice and the spring onion
until smooth and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to a large, deep frying pan, add the pepper and onion and sauté over a high heat for 5 minutes or until starting to char slightly. Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic, cocoa, jackfruit and Mexican seasoning. Sauté for another 2 minutes, then add the blended tomato purée, remaining lime juice, zest and stock.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. You can make this ahead and store it in the fridge overnight. Bring it to room temperature before frying.
Meanwhile, make a quick béchamel. Melt the butter, then add the flour and stir to form a golden paste. Whisk in the 60ml milk, then stir over a low heat until it thickens. Season well, then stir in more milk if needed. Add the cheese, whisking for around 5 minutes until it’s bubbling and smooth. Add the chives and remove the pan from the heat. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Place a couple of tbsp of the jackfruit mix in the centre of each pancake or mini tortilla. Bring the sides together and secure with a toothpick, weaving in and out across the top.
Heat the vegetable oil to 180-190C in a high-sided frying pan over a medium heat. Pan- fry the filled tacos in batches, carefully turning, to cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove when golden and transfer to a rack to drain.
Remove the toothpicks and scatter the chopped coriander leaves over the tacos. Serve with the spicy avocado, cheese sauce and the lime wedges and chilli sauce, if using.
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