Place the same pan over a medium heat and toast the bread, 1 teaspoon of the reserved chilli seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, coriander seeds, peppercorns and cinnamon until fragrant but not burnt. Set them aside and blend to a powder when cool.

In a dry heavy-based frying pan, toast the guajillo chillies until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer them to a bowl and pour over 450ml of just-boiled water. Leave them to soak for 15–20 minutes. In the same pan, dry fry the tomatoes and garlic until softened and charred. Set aside the tomatoes and garlic until cool enough to handle, then peel off and discard the garlic skins and quarter the tomatoes, skin and all. In part, it was a nod to Mexican mole sauce, but also because I just love using this stuff whenever I can. To make the guacamole, pound the chilli in a pestle and mortar with the onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt, into a lumpy paste. Add the avocado and break up the flesh roughly with a fork. The result should be lumpy not smooth. Stir in the lime juice, to taste, and the chopped coriander.

From the book: Rick Stein: The Road to Mexico

In the same pan, add about 1tbsp of oil and brown the beef in batches, setting it all to one side when you’re done. You might need to add more oil as you go. Toast the guajillo chillies (no oil) in a heavy-bottomed pan until aromatic and slightly smoking but not charred, then put them into a bowl and soak them in the 450ml of boiling water until step 5 (or at least 20 minutes). Combine the sugar cumin, smoked paprika and salt and rub all over the pork, working it into the scored skin. Leave at room temperature for half an hour or in the fridge overnight. Toast the chillies in a frying pan on a high heat for about 20 seconds until fragrant but not burnt. Place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of lard or oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown one third of the beef. Transfer to a plate and then repeat until all the beef has browned, adding another tablespoon of lard or oil as needed. Tear the pasilla chilli into 4 or 5 pieces and put them in a bowl with 200ml of just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 20 minutes. Put the chilli with its soaking water and the remaining marinade ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour one-third of this mixture over the turkey breast and rub it in all over. Cover and leave the turkey to marinate in the fridge for 1–2 hours. In the same frying pan, dry fry the tomatoes and garlic until softened and charred. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel off and discard the garlic skins and quarter the tomatoes. Put the soaked chillies and about 150ml of their soaking liquid in a blender and add the garlic, tomatoes, salt and chipotles en adobo. Blend until as smooth as possible, then tip into the casserole with the onions and add the browned beef. Stir in about 300ml of the chilli soaking water. Reserve the rest in case you need more later. Add the remaining lard or oil to the pan and fry the onion for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the cumin, oregano, allspice and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes.Deep-fry the prawns in batches for 1 or 2 minutes until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and sweat the onion, garlic, epazote or oregano and chilli until very soft. Add the passata and cook for 15–20 minutes. Liquidise the sauce in a blender or food processor and season with pepper and salt to taste. Important: don’t taste this sauce yet. It will put you off, make you think you’ve wasted your time and induce much anger. It tastes like sour over-brewed tea. The tomatoes have to cook more and the beef will infuse beautifully. Give it time.

Meanwhile, to make the chipotle crema, mix the chipotles en adobo, soured cream and mayonnaise with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and set aside. You don’t get the sweetness of the chocolate, or the herbaceous tang of the bitters; just an elevated level of flavour that really enhances the dish. I can see what the excitement over mole sauce is about now. Chilli con carne was a staple in our house. beef mince in a spicy tomato sauce with a tin of kidney beans served with white rice – it did its job. Make the honeycomb first. Grease a baking tray with the butter and set it aside. Put the golden syrup and caster sugar in a large saucepan and let it dissolve over a low heat until you can’t see the sugar crystals. Turn up the heat and cook until the mixture is a deep caramel colour. Turn off the heat and immediately add the bicarbonate of soda. Stir to mix well while it bubbles and foams, then pour the mixture on to the greased baking tray and leave it to cool for 1–1½ hours. Break it into shards and store in an airtight container between sheets of baking parchment for up to a week.

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To make the batter, sift 125g/4½oz plain flour, the baking powder and pinch salt into a bowl. Make a well in centre and break in the egg. Bring in the flour from the sides to make a paste then whisk in the cold water to make a smooth batter. For Mexicans, their most revered dishes come from the south and their Mecca is undeniably Oaxaca, where locals still dress in traditional costume bringing to life the enduring descriptions of writers like D H Lawrence who fell in love with the area.

We’ve all heard of chilli con carne, but carne con chilli is a completely different creature. More in keeping with the true Mexican dish, this is a rich, slow-cooked wonder that will never let you look at the meek mince and beans you’re used to the same way again. Add 1tbsp oil to the pan and soften the onion over a medium/high heat. Add the bay leaves, oregano, cumin and allspice, and cook for another few minutes. Tip the remaining 50g/1¾oz flour into a shallow bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix together the breadcrumbs and coconut in a seperate bowl.To make the pico de gallo, mix all the ingredients together with ½ teaspoon of salt in a bowl and set aside.