Welcome to Off The Shelf, the monthly series where we dust off the cookbook shelves and commit to cooking properly from one book every month. Rediscover the joy of flipping through the pages of a well-thumbed cookbook, add some new meals to your repertoire and see what happens when you step away from the endless scroll of online recipes.
There are cookbooks, and then there is Mezcla. It should be no surprise given the eye-catching cover and background of author Ixta Belfrage that this book is full of vibrant and colourful recipes which are a joy to make and an even bigger joy to eat. This is not classical, refined cooking; it is messy, full of life, history and passion, with big ingredients and bold flavours. Belfrage grew up between the UK, Italy and Mexico, with Brazilian heritage, and Mezcla is equally a combination of cuisines and techniques. Food is a cultural cornerstone of all these places, which shines through in Belfrage’s homage to her influences. This is food made to be shared, enjoyed and laughed over.
Why ‘Mezcla’?
An initial flick through Mezcla may appear, at first, a bit daunting. These are not traditional recipes, but an accumulation of Belfrage’s heritage and upbringing - a true fusion of Italian, Brazilian and Mexican cuisine which sets it apart from any other cookbook. Belfrage cut her teeth in Ottolenghi’s Nopi and Development Kitchen, and became one of several stand out contributors towards his books like Flavour and Taste. At the heart of Mezlca is a layering of components to create a stand out dish - a punchy dressing made with anchovies, lemon and parsley to elevate a dish, a chilli-infused oil to drizzle, or quick-pickled onion to garnish. It is these clever details that bring Mezcla’s recipes to the next level. Belfrage breaks each part into simple steps, and whilst at first glance it may seem like there is a lot to the recipes, even in the ‘Entertaining’ section these are still easy to follow. The ingredients are occasionally a little hard to find, but with a bit of forward planning and occasional substitution they are well worth the effort.
The Show Stoppers: Belfrage’s Prawn Lasagne with Habanero Oil has become somewhat of a signature dish, using minced prawns cooked down with tomatoes, tomato purée and shellfish stock (it’s worth the faff of making your own stock with shell-on prawns), layered with a drizzle of double cream and Parmesan and finished with a spoonful or habanero oil. The result is a rich, warming show-stopper, unlike any lasagne you will have experienced before. The After Dinner Chocolate Tart was similarly indulgent, made with coconut milk, dark chocolate and a crunchy Ginger Nut base which had me coming back for another slice until I’d polished off the whole lot.
The New Regulars: The Pineapple Pizza Salsa has, as the kids say, lived rent-free in my head since I first opened the pages of Mezcla some years ago. Made with tomato puree, spices and fresh pineapple, it delivers that perfect sweet-spicy hit that Belfrage delivers again and again. Served with burrata and padrón peppers, it didn’t last long when served to friends. Likewise, the Roast Chicken Curry in which a whole spatchcocked chicken is roasted over a tray of curry sauce and adorned with crispy curry leaves was similarly moreish, with my 2-year-old daughter demanding it for supper every night that week.
The Other Side: For some people, to see the amount and different types of chilli being used may be off-putting. But please don’t be intimidated by that. Belfrage makes plenty of suggestions and accommodations for those who don’t like heat or are cooking for a family. It’s worth getting to know different chillies and the heat levels and flavours they offer. Habanero, for example, is a very hot chilli but offers a wonderful fruity flavour. Chipotle is milder but still hot, providing a smoky undertone and umami punch. For something milder, try a Kashmiri chilli powder or red pepper flakes.
What We Actually Learned
If a cookbook feels intimidating to you in its utter brilliance, this is probably a sign that it’s worth giving it a go. The way Belfrage cleverly uses small components to elevate her dishes is such an easy way to improve your cooking, no doubt a skill honed in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen where this technique is very much central. You will be left with joyful bowls of dressings, toppings and salsas which will improve your meals for weeks to come.
Belfrage’s understanding of flavour and the importance of contrasting profiles (sweet-meets-spicy-meets-salty-meets-sour) in a way that keeps every recipe fresh and exciting is masterful. A humble salad recipe becomes an explosion of flavour - sweetness from a mango, salty cheese, a spicy heat from sliced jalapeño finished with a zesty dressing and vinegary pickled onion. Don’t be afraid to combine all of these things together to create an impressive mouthful. Mezcla is designed to live on the counter, not the shelf, where its colourful pages can be oil-splattered and dog-eared as you cook the recipes again and again. Whether you’re looking for a midweek meal to break out of your usual routine, or impressing friends with a tableful of food to delight, this book delivers. Just be prepared to wonder why you haven’t been putting pineapple in your salsa all along.
Next Month
From fellow Ottolenghi alumni Noor Muradi, ‘Lugma’ is a love story to Middle-Eastern food, inspired by Murad’s upbringing in Bahrain. There is the occasional Western influence from Noor’s English mother, but the flavours, techniques and history are very much centred around the food of the Gulf.