Cooking class in Huatulco
15 January 2018 | Marina Chahue, Huatulco, Mexico
Bill/ sunny and getting warmer
It's now Sunday at 1430 and we are back from the Wahaca Cooking School. They picked us up(well, stuck us in a cab) and off we went. The owner, Alfredo was in his own car and took off to pickup the others in the class, seven ladies from California. We all met at his class palapa quite a ways from the marina, far east near the big resorts. A big open air area with just a few tables and a kitchen to cook in. The menu today was for Green Mole, Black Mole, tortillas and Tamales. Making tamales is quite the production with many different veggies needing skinned and diced as well as the seeds in jalapeƱos and serano chills being properly prepared(all the seeds taken out) and then sliced and stuck in a blender and reduced to a slush. As for the jalapeƱo seeds, they got roasted on a huge flat metal pan over a propane stove till they turned black and the nput in water to hydrate. Lots of veggies were put in blenders till well pulverized and mixed with other veggies. The chillies were roasted till darkened and the put in water and later into a blender to be pulverized. It was quite the production to make these different mole sauces. They already had pots boiling away with a chicken carcass and chunks of beef getting cooked and tenderized when we got there. With seven others joining us, it was a great class.
We slowly made the different Moles and the corn tortillas(fired on a metal plate) and then cheese enchiladas using Oaxaca string cheese that were coated in the mole sauce when done. Some green and some black. The black Mole has chocolate mixed in it for a more smoky flavor.
Once the chicken and beef were done, we stripped all the meat off the bones and set aside as we prepared the banana leaves and corn husks for the tamales. Some were made with chicken and either the black or green mole and some were made with the beef and different moles. These were all laid inside a big stone ware pot on a layer of wooden sticks to keep them off the bottom and slowly steamed till done, about 50 minutes since there were so many. Meanwhile, we all ate the enchiladas and drank beer or marguerites to set the mood. It was a great group of people all having fun trying new things. The great thing was that they were staying in a hotel and we on a boat so we got to take all the left over tamales back for another meal.
The cab picked us up just after 1400 and we were back on board by 1430, safe and sound and with FULL tummies. At just $75US, it was well worth the money. Will we ever make them again, who knows. It depends of the availability of ingredients and of course the time.
Pictures of the class will be posted soon.