Prawn Panuchos

From 'The Road to Mexico' by Rick Stein

A quick and easy recipe for a dish that's great to serve to a group.

Ingredients:

• For the Tomato Sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 2 ripe red tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 10 turns black peppermill
• For the Panuchos
  • Corn tortilla dough
  • 750ml vegetable oil, for frying
• For the Prawns
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 225g raw peeled prawns, chopped
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf, torn
• To Serve
  • Refried black beans
  • 1 little gem lettuce, shredded
  • Pink pickled onions
  • 1 large avocado, stoned, peeled, and sliced

Recipe:

1. For the Tomato Sauce:
   1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the garlic, tomatoes, onion, and chilli. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the ingredients are softened and slightly brown.
   2. Tip everything into a molcajete and pound to a smooth sauce, or pulse in a blender.
   3. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then set the sauce aside.
2. For the Panuchos:
   1. Roll or press the dough into 12 rounds, each about 8cm in diameter and about 2-3mm thick.
   2. Heat the oil in a saucepan to 190°C and fry the rounds, a few at a time, for 2-3 minutes until puffed up.
   3. Remove them from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Keep them warm in a tortilla warmer whilst you finish the toppings.
3. For the Prawns:
   1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chopped onion. Once it has softened, after about 2 minutes, add the tomato and cook for a minute or 2 until it’s starting to break down.
   2. Add the chopped prawns, oregano, and bay leaf.
4. Warm the refried beans in a separate pan.
5. Flatten down the centres of the puffed-up panuchos with the back of a spoon and spread them with some refried beans.
6. Set 3 panuchos on each plate and top with some of the fried prawn mixture, shredded lettuce, pink pickled onions, and slice of avocado. Serve with the tomato sauce on the side.