FRIDA'S CHILLI CON CARNE(serves six hungry surrealists)
THE MOVIE
Julie Taymor’s 2002 biopic of Mexican surrealist painter Frida Kahlo tells the story of the artist’s tumultuous life. Salma Hayek gives an Oscar-nominated turn in the lead role while Alfred Molina portrays her husband Diego Rivera. One of many scenes highlighting her tangled and complex relationships is set in the kitchen of Rivera’s second wife Lupe Marín (Valeria Golino).
THE SCENE
Frida awakes and heads to the kitchen of her new home with Diego. She’s surprised and touched to find the table set with food for the pair. “Mmmmm. What a wonderful molé!” she exclaims. “It’s Lupe’s special recipe,” he explains. “She brought it down for us while you were sleeping . . . She’s in the apartment upstairs with my kids. I let her have it while . . .” he trails off as Frida grabs the plates of Lupe’s speciality and disgustedly throws them in the bin.
THE FOOD
A molé is, simply, a Mexican term for sauce and so its recipes vary from dish to region. In a tribute to Kahlo, this is a deliciously unconventional recipe which should be embraced with the vivacity that Kahlo embraced life.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 500g good-quality lean Irish minced beef
* 1 onion
* 1 carrot
* 2 red peppers
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 heaped teaspoon red chilli flakes
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes
* 400ml beef stock
* 1 tablespoon marmite
* Red or green tabasco sauce
* 1 large sweet potato
* 2 soft tortillas, to serve
* Sour cream, to serve
METHOD
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan over a medium to high heat. Fry the minced beef for 5 to 10 minutes, separating with a wooden spoon, until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen paper towel.
Meanwhile dice the onion and carrot. De-seed and dice the red peppers.
Remove any excess fat or water from the pan. Add a little extra olive oil and cook the onion, carrot and red peppers for 10 minutes until softened, stirring constantly. Finely grate the garlic into the pan and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly. Add the red chilli flakes, cumin and smoked paprika and mix well so everything is coated. Cook for a further minute before adding the tinned tomatoes, beef stock and marmite. Stir everything well and add a dash or three of tabasco sauce.
Don’t worry – it will look quite watery but we’re going to thicken it up. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper, mixing again. Simmer over a medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and has a glossy sheen to it.
While the chilli is simmering, make some smoky sweet potato wedges to serve as a side. Chop one sweet potato into wedges and parboil in boiling water for 10 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 6. Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer to a roasting dish. Drizzle with plenty of oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked through and crispy on the outside.
When everything is ready, warm your soft tortillas in the oven before you serve them alongside the sweet potato wedges and chilli con carne, which is incomplete without a dollop of sour cream on top.
* Aoife McElwain is a film fan and food writer. Her blog can be found at icanhascook.wordpress.com
