Mexico 2019 - Oaxaca cooking

We did some investigation into cooking classes in Oaxaca seeing that it's a hotbed of gastronomy of all kinds and there is some sensational regional cuisine. We three like to cook and eat as well.  None of the classes we saw on the internet turned out to be quite right but, in wandering around town, Meg found a unique cooking class opportunity.  José Luis Diaz Robledo is the owner/chef at Chilhuacle Rojo restaurant.  

Sometimes he operates the restaurant when he has a group of 10 and prepares a set meal.  I'll bet it's really good because he's a really good cook.

  Other times he gives these cooking classes.  We met with José first thing in the morning, discussed what we had in mind to learn, he told us his thoughts and sent us off to the mercado with his two personable young assistants and a shopping list.  There we bought what seemed like an inordinate amount of food; veggies, meat, fish, fruit, herbs, cream.  On the way home we stopped and visited this vendor selling a grain based drink, tejate I think this was, a toasted corn, fermented cacao drink.  

Very substantive.  Very tasty.  

Back at the restaurant José and his assistants immediately set to work, toasting tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, garlic and avocados on the brazier

 Dani manning the brazier

and getting the herbs and other ingredients cleaned and portioned out.  

Next we had a tortilla making session and we all took a turn with the press.  The squash blossoms make for a beautiful tortilla.  

 
We also learned how to make Tetelas, tortillas folded into triangles with a filling of beans and herbs.

 Meanwhile the cocoa beans were toasting

chiles, onions, tomatoes were cooking for salsa, the chicken was browning

the blue corn was getting processed for grinding into masa dough.

 

  

After browning, the chicken was cooking in a mole Coloradito, the fish was grilling

We were put to work grinding ingredients for salsas both raw and cooked

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRjEAMDY--w

When it was all done we all sat down to eat, José, assistants and all.  I'm sorry I didn't take a photo of the laden dinner table but, by that point, the food was the priority and we wasted no time getting to it.  There were several salsas, some cooked, some raw, a rich, creamy guacamole made from the roasted avocados, chicken in mole Coloradito, a fish sauce made from the fillets we bought, tortillas, of course, and I don't remember what else.  The crown on the event, at least from my perspective, was the dessert.  A big bunch of basil had been slowly simmering in whole cream for some time while the cocoa beans were roasting.  A spicy chocolate sauce was made from the cocoa beans and a freshly made strawberry coulis was swirled into the basil infused cream in the dessert bowls followed by a couple of ounces of the chocolate sauce.  I think it hit every available pleasure centre and maybe created some new ones.  We all begged for seconds. 

 

This culinary experience was a big favourite for all three of us, certainly one of the highlights of our Oaxaca stay. 

Happy students