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Panuchos
Serves Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1 boiled chicken breast
- 30ml recado rojo (see recipe)
- 1tbsp vegetable oil, to fry
- 350g masa (corn dough; see recipe)
- 160g refried beans
- 3tbsp lard or vegetable oil
- habanero hot sauce, to serve
For the toppings
- 30g white cabbage or iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 100g Yucatán-style salsa roja (see recipe)
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 80g cebolla curtida (pickled red onions; see recipe)
For the recado rojo (makes 250g)
- 100g achiote paste
- 100ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2tbsp white vinegar
- 1/2tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1/4tsp cumin seeds
For the Yucatán-style salsa roja (makes 750g)
- 400g ripe plum tomatoes or canned tomatoes
- 1/2 white onion
- 35g lard or 50ml vegetable oil
- 1tsp salt
- 1-2 habanero chillies
For the Masa (makes 650g)
- 280g masa harina (nixtamalised corn flour)
- 1/4tsp salt (optional)
For the cebolla curtida (makes 450g)
- 60ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 60ml white vinegar or freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced using a mandoline
- 1 habanero chilli (optional), to serve
Method
Cover the chicken breast with the recado rojo. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken for around 3 minutes on each side until it has a caramelised coating. Leave to cool, then shred and transfer to a bowl.
To make the panuchos, roll approx. 40g portions of the masa into balls.
Place a ball between two sheets of cling film in a tortilla press (or use cling film and a thick chopping board set on a flat surface). Press down firmly to flatten the dough into a circle about 10cm in diameter and about 5mm thick. Rotate the flattened dough within the cling film 180 degrees, then press again gently. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
Cook in a non-stick frying pan for 3-5 minutes on each side, making sure they are cooked in the middle. Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes, but don’t let them go cold.
Slice through the side about halfway-through to make a pocket. Open the pocket and fill with refried beans and set aside.
Prepare all the toppings and put them and the shredded chicken in separate bowls.
Heat a medium frying pan over a medium heat and add the lard or oil. Fry the panuchos for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown, still soft but with a bit of crisp. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Transfer to a serving plate and top each with a handful of cabbage or lettuce, some shredded chicken, a slice of tomato and some salsa roja. Finish with a slice of avocado and some cebolla curtida and serve with the hot sauce.
For the recado rojo
Put all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and quite thick. Freeze any you do not need immediately, in portions, for up to 6 months.
For the Yucatán-style salsa roja
Put the tomatoes and onion in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
Put the lard or oil in a small pan set over a medium heat. Add the blended mixture, salt and the whole chillies and cook together for 15 minutes. If you like your salsa mild, don’t let the habanero burst – cook it on a low heat to be safe.
If you will not be serving all the salsa immediately, bring any left over to the boil in a small pan before cooling and storing in the fridge for up to 1 week.
For the Masa
Put the masa harina in a mixing bowl and add the salt and combine, if using. Gradually start to add about 375ml warm water, while stirring with your hands, continuing to add water until the dough comes together and becomes soft and pliable. The dough should hold together but not be overly sticky. If it feels too dry, add a little more water. If it’s too wet, add a bit more masa harina. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and well combined with a Play-Doh–like consistency (quite soft and a little sticky).
The masa will keep for a couple of days in the fridge in an airtight container. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to use it, knead thoroughly with your hand and add some water if necessary
Mix the orange juice and vinegar with salt, to taste, in a medium bowl. Add the onions to the liquid and set aside for a couple of hours to pickle. Keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks and serve with the chilli, if using, thinly sliced.