Rick enjoys a hearty steak and eggs American diner special and bids a fond farewell to his trusty Ford Mustang as he heads across what is reputed to be the busiest border crossing in the world – San Diego to Tijuana – to begin his Mexican adventures.
He follows the Pacific coastline down to Ensenada, sampling flour tortilla burritos and fresh fish landed, marinated and cooked on Popotla Beach, before visiting the Valle de Guadalupe – Mexico’s best-kept secret for fabulous wines and the jewel in its culinary crown for Baja Med cuisine.
1. Fish tacos ‘Ensenada’ (Tacos de Pescado Ensenada)
For many years the beaches on the north coast of Cornwall were patrolled by Australian lifeguards. One was Rudy, who used to return year after year so we filmed a sequence about a trip he’d made to Ensenada on the Baja California coast, where they made fabulous fish tacos. We cooked some on the beach in Cornwall and I always thought one day I’d get to Ensenada, find the tacos and stand on the beach with that memory.
2. Baked crab ‘poblano’ with achiote
This dish comes from a great restaurant in Valle de Guadalupe. It was one of those occasions when I had no expectations of any great food until I tried this crab dish, scented with achiote and pasilla chilli. I should have asked for the recipe, but we had to leave for more filming so this is my interpretation.
3. Chicken burritos with pico de gallo (tortilla burritos)
As much as I bang on about the wonderfulness of corn tortillas, flour ones do have their place. They are much better for bigger fillings like this one, and the gluten content in the flour makes for a proper wrap.
