HOME-MADE NACHOS

Serves four

INGREDIENTS

For the tomato salsa

3 medium ripe tomatoes

½ shallot or red onion

1 fresh green chilli (or more if you like it hot)

1 tbsp olive oil Lime juice, to taste

For the nachos

200g small corn tortillas (make sure the tortillas are made from corn rather than a mix of wheat and corn)

2 litres vegetable oil for deep frying

150g cheddar, grated 150g sour cream

1 x 200g jar of pickled jalapeños

20g coriander, chopped

METHOD

> To make the salsa, finely dice the tomatoes and shallot or onion into a small bowl. Finely chop the chilli and add to the bowl. Dress with the olive oil and season, according to your taste, with the lime juice and some salt. > Preheat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or a large saucepan to 180C. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ Gas 5.

> Slice the tortillas in half and then each half into three triangles. You can save time by cutting the whole stack together. > Frying in batches, so as not to overwhelm the fryer, fry the tortilla triangles until just golden brown, to make crisps/chips. Transfer them as they are done to a bowl lined with kitchen roll to absorb the excess oil. When you have cooked them all, give the bowl a shake to get rid of any oil.

> Spread the chips out on a baking tray in a layer no more than two chips deep. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the chips and bake in the oven for five minutes. The cheese will have melted on to the chips.

> To serve, for the full messy option, spoon the tomato salsa and sour cream over the nachos and scatter with jalapeños and coriander. Alternatively, you can have small bowls of the salsa, sour cream and jalapeños ready for everyone to dress their own. Serve with cold Mexican beer.