Mexico – One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless Episode Descriptions Season One (26x30) #101: The Whole Enchilada The word “enchilada” simply means “in chile” and in Mexico, the most beloved version is actually a street snack: a corn tortilla dipped in chile sauce that’s a far cry from the limp, stuffed tortillas swimming in a sea of red sauce and molten cheese that we’re familiar with in the U.S. Rick shows us how to make classic “Street Style” Red Chile Enchiladas at home, and how to transform them into a simple, satisfying brunch presentation, Red Chile Enchiladas with Spicy Potatoes and Fried Eggs. At Sanborn’s in Mexico City, the colorfully tiled restaurant where the famous dish, Enchiladas Suizas, was invented, Rick explains that “Suiza” means Swiss, a tribute to the dish’s use of cream and cheese. This inspires a visit to a Mexican creamery stall, a lesson in making homemade “crema,” the Mexican version of crème fraîche, and a third dish, Rick’s own Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes and Green Chile. #102: Let’s Talk Tacos Gleefully dispelling the notion that tacos are crispy shells jammed with ground beef and shredded lettuce, Rick takes us on a journey in search of the real thing. First stop: a taco restaurant in Mexico City where tacos a la plancha–soft tortillas with fillings hot off the iron griddle–are sold. Great tacos need great salsa, and Rick shows us how to make Salsa Verde from both raw and roasted tomatillos in a deadpan side-by-side “dueling salsas” showdown. In Mexico, a butcher butterflies a pork loin with finesse. Rick, back in his Chicago kitchen, launches into his own demonstration of Pork Tacos a la Plancha. Then we’re back to a lively Mexico City taqueria specializing in tacos al carbon filled with charcoal grilled meats and onions. Rick makes two versions of his own–Tacos with Skirt Steak and Portobello Mushrooms–on his backyard grill, along with a traditional molcajete salsa made from ingredients roasted right on the grill. It’s tacos top to bottom, and there’s not a crispy shell in sight. #103: The Straight Cheese on Quesadillas Accompanied by his 8-year-old daughter, Lanie, Rick pays homage to the magic of melted cheese. On a visit to Oaxaca, Rick and Lanie get a firsthand lesson in the art of hand-pulled string cheese. No one can resist a nice grilled cheese sandwich, and Mexicans are no exception–only they call their version a quesadilla. Back home in Chicago, father and daughter whip up some APT WORLDWIDE * 55 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110, USA [email protected] * [email protected] * [email protected] APTWW.ORG simple Mushroom Quesadillas using store-bought tortillas–they’re easy as child’s play. Returning to Oaxaca, they watch Señora Oliva, for some the “World’s Best Quesadilla Maker,” turn out quesadillas made from fresh masa on a comal over a wood-fire. Can they replicate them at home? Of course! In his back yard Rick gathers nasturtiums, squash blossoms, epazote and poblano chiles, then shows Lanie the fine points of turning masa into Squash Blossom Quesadillas on the griddle. The show ends with a little fun and a little fondue, Mexican-style, as Rick and Lanie prepare the ultimate cheese-lover’s dish, Queso Fundido with Mexican Sausage and Roasted Peppers. #104: Sopes and Gorditas: Masa Appeal Every culture has its small bites–sushi, dim sum, tapas, mezze. But in Mexico, these flavorful tidbits fall into a different kind of category: “antojitos,” the foods you crave. These are the snacks and street foods, as well as the special-occasion treats, that Mexicans love best–the stuff that comforts the soul and sets the heart racing. And the ones made with masa top the charts. Sopes, little masa shells, are baked on a griddle and finished with all kinds of flavorful toppings. We watch them being made in a courtyard restaurant in Mexico as Rick gives the “play-by-play,” then wander into the Uriarte pottery factory, where Rick indulges in his secret addiction: buying dishes. Back in his home kitchen, he makes Potato Sopes with Salsa, Goat Cheese and Fresh Herbs–perfect as an appetizer or party food. Then it’s back to Mexico for a lesson in gorditas– fried masa “pockets” stuffed with savory fillings. Bouncing effortlessly back to Chicago, Rick creates his own version: Bacon Gorditas with Roasted Poblano Guacamole. #105: Tacos from the Ground Up Homey tacos de cazuela–soft corn tortillas rolled around fillings simmered slowly in earthenware pots–are the soul of Mexican comfort food. And nothing makes them more appealing than just- baked tortillas, fragrant with the earthy aroma of freshly ground masa. How field corn is dried and transformed into the daily bread of Mexico is a remarkable, centuries-old story, and Rick tells that story, taking us on a “field trip” from market to tortilla factory, and finally to his own kitchen, where he shares the secrets of mixing, pressing, flipping and griddling perfect Homemade Tortillas made from fresh masa. To make great tacos de cazuela, it helps to have a cazuela, or earthenware cooking vessel. Rick picks one out in the Oaxaca market, then at home, he prepares two classics: Guajillo-Spiked Pork and Potato Tacos and Mexican-Style Zucchini Tacos. The show ends with Rick improvising the ultimate Bayless late-night snack–Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos–prepared and eaten by the light of the fridge. #106: Ceviche in the Limelight Who’s that guy walking towards us through the heat on a Mexican beach? It’s Rick, and he’s about to prove a tasty point about ceviche, the traditional Mexican seafood salad marinated in lime and chiles: it’s so ancient, so elemental and so easy, you don’t even need a kitchen to make it. And so saying, Rick prepares Classic Ceviche right on the beach, using nothing more than a lime to “cook” the fish. For a traditional accompaniment, we go to Chicago for a quick lesson in the art of making Tostadas, crispy fresh tortilla chips. Then it’s a Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail that starts with Rick’s foolproof shrimp steaming technique, plus a visit to a seafood “cocteleria” stand in Mexico to see how the original “stirred not shaken” version is made. Back in his kitchen, Rick creates a thoroughly modern Salmon Ceviche steeped in orange juice and roasted chiles. APT WORLDWIDE * 55 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02110, USA [email protected] * [email protected] * [email protected] APTWW.ORG #107: Chiles Rellenos and Other Cool Stuff When it comes to Chiles Rellenos, Frontera Grill is famous for selling out. Within 20 minutes, the lucky customers who lined up an hour before the doors opened snap up every order. What makes these stuffed chiles in a golden soufflé batter so special? Rick takes us into the Frontera kitchen to show us firsthand. Then it’s a lesson in “chile anatomy” that takes us from a Mexican market stall to Rick’s backyard garden to bring home the idea that in Mexican cooking, chiles aren’t just about heat. They’re thought of as a vegetable–a vegetable that’s perfect for stuffing. Rick shows us how to make classic Pork-Stuffed Chiles in Tomato Broth, as well as his own contemporary variation: Stuffed Chiles Baked with Tomato and Cream. Along the way, we discover all kinds of chiles rellenos in Mexico in this half-hour stuffed with surprises. #108: Fish a la Veracruzana: How to Fish for Compliments Rick takes us to the Gulf Coast port of Veracruz, “The Mexican Mediterranean,” for a look at the city’s most famous contribution to Mexican cooking, a fittingly Mediterranean fish preparation known simply as “a la Veracruzana” that features a whole fish baked in a tangy tomato, herb, olive and caper sauce. Inspired by this classic dish, Rick explores the Mediterranean roots of Mexican cooking, and the surprising contributions of Mexico–such as the tomato–to the cuisines of Europe. He shows us how to make a dramatic Pescado a la Veracruzana, using a whole fish, then moves to his outdoor kitchen for an easy, contemporary Grilled Salmon a la Veracruzana– tasty proof that Mexican cooking can be every bit as light and fresh as the Mediterranean dishes we’re all so in love with today. #109: Barbacoa and Cochinita Pibil: Down to Earth Cooking Succulent meat, slowly cooked in pits lined with smoldering embers is the stuff of barbecue dreams. Rick takes us for a “pit stop” at Arroyo, the sprawling three thousand-seat outdoor restaurant in the heart of Mexico City, where we see the dramatic all-day pit-cooking process that transforms hundreds of pounds of lamb into succulent “Barbacoa.” At La Capilla, another outdoor family restaurant in Oaxaca, Rick reveals the mysteries of Oaxacan Barbacoa made with chile-marinated lamb buried in a pit. Back in Chicago, he shows us his favorite way to do pit- cooking at home–without lifting a shovel. It’s all done on the grill using indirect heat and Rick’s foolproof leaf-wrapping technique. He prepares fork tender Cochinita Pibil–Yucatecan-style Achiote-Rubbed Pork Cooked in Banana Leaves, served with a fiery Habanero Salsa. #110: Rice to the Occasion Rice turns up everywhere in Mexico: as the second course in a traditional midday comida, beautifully molded into a little mound to accompany seafood, heaped onto a plate in a market fonda. But it wasn’t always this way. Rick traces the history of this relative newcomer to the Mexican diet that arrived with the conquistadors by way of Asia and the Middle East.