Chileajo de verduras

Step 1: Bring the salted 8 ¼ cups salted water to the boil in a large pot. Cook the 10 ½ oz waxy potatoes and 2 carrots for 6 minutes, add the 7 oz green beans and 1 chayote for 3 minutes, then the 7 oz cauliflower and 3 ½ oz peas for 2 minutes. A knife should go into the potato with slight resistance.

Step 2: Scoop the vegetables into a colander with a slotted spoon, keeping 250 ml of the cooking water. Spread them out on a tray to cool so they stop cooking. Empty and dry the pot.

Step 3: Toast the 6 dried guajillo chiles and 1 dried ancho chile in the dry pot over a medium heat for 5–10 seconds a side, just until fragrant and blistered. Cover with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes until soft.

Step 4: Drain the chiles and blend with the 6 cloves garlic, 3 whole cloves, 6 black peppercorns, ¼ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 3 tbsp cider vinegar and the 250 ml vegetable water until completely smooth. Sieve if your blender leaves bits of skin.

Step 5: Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in the pot over a medium heat and pour in the sauce (it splutters). Fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until it darkens to brick red and thickens enough to coat a spoon. Season with the 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 pinch sugar.

Step 6: Take the pot off the heat and fold the vegetables gently into the sauce. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight, so the vegetables soak up the flavour.

Step 7: Serve cold, spooned onto 12 corn tostadas and topped with ½ red onion and 1 handful flat-leaf parsley. It keeps for 4 days in the fridge.