Mystery Box #4
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Full transparency here- we couldn’t even wait a full week for #4. We decided to do a second one later in the week. Not even later in the week, just the next day! Maybe it’s the former bodybuilder in me eating the same foods at the same time for years, but Jesse gets equally as excited as I do each and every time!
I could feel it in my core, this would be a good one!
Bison
Dried Apricots
Cocoa Powder
My vision was immediately clear. I could already see the colors popping off the plate. No obstacles with this one. All the mystery ingredients would perfectly marry for the dish I had planned.
I think part of the great fun in this is that we do grocery shopping together but never tell what we’re making. I love watching Jesse spin his wheels and gather his ingredients. Each item picked gives me another clue. Yet, I’ve never guess his dishes once prior to the almost finished masterpiece.
I should also point out that we didn’t specify bison steak or ground bison so I chose to go with a steak, while Jesse had opted for the latter.
Making our way through the grocery store, I just knew as I grabbed the beautiful colors throughout the produce section it would be my most beautiful plate yet!
Mango, purple cabbage, cilantro, jalapeños, tomatoes, onions and the list goes on but I won’t bore you here. It was gorgeous in my mind!
The rest of the ingredients I needed were scattered throughout the store. Cotjia, tomato paste and some chicken broth.
Back to the lab! I needed a vessel for my dish. Warm water and corn flour, combined, kneaded and set to rest. Time to start on the powerful flavors that will be the base layer of the plate. Mingling the variety of produce along with the paste and broth. The aroma in the kitchen was making my nostrils tingle. A few tablespoons of cocoa powder and voila- a tangy, spicy and rich molé sauce.
My vision was slowly but surely becoming a reality!
The corn flour was ready to be rolled and shaped into delicious homemade tortillas. A quick sear on the bison and some chopped, fresh produce.
I’ve made today a bison taco with a mole sauce topped with an apricot slaw!
Jesse as always, on the more creative side!
He decided to go with a bison burger on a sweet roll made with the cocoa powder and an apricot jam. All the flavors sung a perfect harmony!
Corn tortilla recipe
Ingredients
240g corn flour
12-16oz hot water(95-100 degrees)
1.5 tablespoons salt
In a large mixing bowl combine salt and flour together
Gradually add in the hot water and mix with spatula until dough begins to form(start with 12oz of water and add 1oz at a time if dough is too dry)
with your hands kneed flour until smooth and cohesive dough ball forms(about 3 min) it should kind of feel like playdough!
Cover and let rest for 15 min
Portion dough into 8 small balls and then roll them out very thinly(I don’t use a tortilla press)
Place a non stick pan over medium high heat. Once hot, place tortilla for about 60-90 seconds and then flip and cook for another 60-90 seconds.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm in tortilla warmer(I used a plate stacked on top of one another)
repeat until all tortillas are cooked.
Cheers!
