Torta ahogada recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons flavourless coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ 200-g/7-oz. can chipotle chillies/chiles in adobo sauce (approx. 110 g/3¾ oz)
• 1 teaspoon ancho chilli/chili powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chilli/chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• generous ¾ cup (120 g) canned white beans (such as cannellini)
• generous ¾ cup (200 ml) vegetable stock
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) aquafaba (from the canned beans)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mesquite liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave syrup
• 1 tablespoon chilli/chile oil
• 5½ oz (150 g) vital wheat gluten flour
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons chickpea/gram flour
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds/pepitas
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• ¼–⅓ cup (60–100 ml) vegetable stock
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 4 bird’s-eye red chillies/chiles, dried or fresh
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• generous ⅔ cup (160 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon habanero hot sauce
• 14-oz (1 x 400-g) can plum tomatoes
• 4 crusty sub-style rolls, to serving
• 3–4 tablespoons vegan feta or ricotta, crumbled, to serving
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, to serving
• handful of freshly chopped coriander/cilantro, to serving
• 1 freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 x lightly oiled squares of waxed paper, approx. 20 cm/8 inches square
• 4 x squares of foil, approx. 20 cm/8 inches square

1. To make the spicy sausage, put the coconut or vegetable oil into a frying pan/skillet and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 8–10 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and chipotle adobo, along with the ancho powder, paprika, cumin, chilli/chili powder and garlic powder. Fry gently for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool a little. Tip the cooled mixture onto a board and roughly chop.
2. Using a stick blender or food processor, blitz together all the wet mix ingredients to make a smooth paste. Pour into a bowl and then add the onion-chilli/chile mixture and mix well.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the dry mix ingredients. Using gloved hands, make a well in the dry mix, then add the wet onion mix, making sure to combine well. Add a little water if needed, a tablespoon or two at a time, so the dough is not too dry. Knead the dough firmly for 3–4 minutes. You can also use a mixer with a dough hook. Divide the dough into four equal parts and roll them into sausage shapes.
4. Place each sausage onto a waxed paper square, pointing corner to corner. Roll the sausage trying to ensure an even shape along the length, fold in the ends and wrap the paper tightly. Then repeat with a foil square, wrapping so it is firmly wrapped. Place the sausages on a steamer tray inside a large, wide pan with a lid.
5. Bring the water to the boil and steam the sausages for 1 hour. Alternatively, to oven bake, preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4. Put 2 litres/2 quarts plus ½ cup of vegetable stock into a deep baking pan and place in the oven. Add the sausages and braise in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
6. Once cooked, leave to cool (still wrapped), then leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour, overnight if possible, to firm up. The next day, remove the wrappings and the sausages are ready to use.
7. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.
8. To make the hot sauce, scatter the pumpkin and sesame seeds on a dry baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
9. Blend together half of the stock with all of the remaining sauce ingredients and 360 ml/1½ cups water, adding the toasted seeds and blitzing well to make a thick dressing. Add more of the vegetable stock as needed to make a thick but pourable sauce.
10. Slice the sausages lengthways and place on a hot griddle/grill pan, searing well for a few minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate.
11. Slice the sub rolls lengthways and brush generously with the hot sauce, then place on the hot griddle/grill pan. Toast for a few minutes, then put onto plates. Top the rolls with the sausages, crumbled vegan feta or ricotta, onion, coriander/cilantro and a splash of lime juice if you like. Drizzle all over with more hot sauce and serve with napkins!