Fideo is a type of short, thin, vermicelli-like pasta popular in Mexico and often cooked in soups or stews. In this dish, chef Santiago Lastra deep-fries, braises and bakes the noodles to create fideo seco, topping the noodles with quickly cooked cuttlefish in a zingy, fiery dressing.
For the salsa, cook the onion and tomatoes in a dry frying pan until blackened and charred. Peel the onion quarters, then add to a blender with the tomatoes, chillies and 120ml of the soaking water. Blitz until smooth, then set aside
2
For the fideo, add the vegetable oil to a saucepan and warm over a medium heat. Fry 3 of the garlic cloves for 4 minutes so they infuse the oil with their flavour, then add the noodles and fry until golden and crisp. Drain and set aside
3
Preheat an oven to 250°C. Place a wide ovenproof pan over a medium heat to warm up, then add the onion and cook until caramelised. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook for 4 minutes, then add the chorizo and use the back of a fork to break up the meat. Fry for a few minutes until beginning to crisp, then stir in the fried noodles. Pour in the salsa and the stock, stir to combine, then cover with tin foil. Cook over a very low heat for 3 minutes, then remove the foil and transfer to the oven for 5 minutes
4
While the fideo seco bakes, prepare the cuttlefish. Combine the parsley stalks, scotch bonnet chilli, capers and kombucha in a bowl, then add rapeseed oil and salt to create a dressing
5
Score the cuttlefish in a criss-cross pattern, ensuring you don’t go all the way through the skin. Add a dash of rapeseed oil to a large pan over a high heat, and once smoking hot, add the cuttlefish. Cook, scored side down, for 30 seconds, then remove from the pan – the residual heat will cook the cuttlefish through
6
To serve, remove the fideo noodles from the oven and place slices of cuttlefish on top. Spoon over the dressing and bring to the table
Santiago is the Mexican chef behind the soon-to-be-opened Kol restaurant in London. He was also a key part of Noma's famous seven-week 2017 pop-up restaurant in Tulum, Mexico.
