“The French took a Mexican dish, named it incorrectly and basically swapped the rice and beans in a burrito with chips and cheese,” is how Big Zuu describes this dish.
“Bare meat combined with hella flavours in a massive tortilla, then pressed in a grill – it’s very mad. When I went to Paris and had this, it made me question the fast-food levels in the UK.”
French taco
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
6 chicken breast mini fillets, about 250g
2tbsp olive oil
½tsp garlic powder
½tsp smoked paprika
½tsp ground cumin
½tsp dried oregano
2 merguez sausages
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
½ green pepper, thinly sliced
2 large tortillas
100g grated mozzarella
2tbsp nacho cheese sauciness
2 handfuls of cooked oven chips
2 spring onions, sliced
50g pickled jalapeños
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For the sauce Algérienne:
Juice of ½ lemon
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp paprika
½tsp chilli powder
1tbsp tomato paste
1tbsp harissa paste
1 small onion, finely chopped
240g mayonnaise
Handful of coriander, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For the nacho cheese sauciness:
410ml tin evaporated milk
120g Red Leicester, grated
120g Cheddar, grated
1tbsp cornflour
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1tsp hot chilli powder
1tbsp hot sauce
Method:
1. For the sauce Algérienne: Mix the lemon juice, cumin, paprika and chilli powder together in a bowl to form a paste. Add the tomato paste and harissa and stir to combine. Add the onion, mayonnaise, coriander and salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
2. For the nacho cheese sauciness: Pour the evaporated milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Mix the grated cheeses with the cornflour, then add to the pan along with chilli, chilli powder and hot sauce, and whisk to combine. Simmer gently for five minutes until thickened, check the seasoning.
3. For the French taco: place the chicken fillets in a large bowl together with one tablespoon of the oil, the garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano and some salt and pepper.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Slice the merguez sausages in half lengthways and fry for three to four minutes, turning after the cut sides are golden and crisp. Once cooked, set aside and add the chicken fillets and sliced peppers to the pan. Fry over a medium heat for eight to 10 minutes until the chicken fillets are golden brown on all sides and firm, and the peppers are soft and lightly charred.
5. Spread a layer of sauce Algérienne in the centre of one tortilla, then sprinkle over a quarter of the mozzarella. Top with half the merguez sausages, followed by three chicken fillets and half the peppers. Add a spoonful of nacho cheese sauciness, half the chips, half the spring onions and half the jalapeños. Top with another quarter of the mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the edges of the tortilla over the filling to create a rectangle. Repeat to make the other wrap.
6. If you have a panini press, heat on medium. When it’s hot, add the wraps, folded-side down, and cook for five to eight minutes until the outside is golden and crisp and the cheese is melted.
7. If you are using a griddle, heat it over a low heat. Place the wraps folded-side down on the griddle and weight them down with a heavy dish. Cook for four to five minutes on each side
Big Zuu’s Big Eats by Big Zuu is published by Ebury Press, priced £22. Photography by Ellis Parrinder. Available now