Tortillas are terrific
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I have really been enjoying things you can make with masa harina lately.
Tamales, tortillas, your own corn chips. My mom always made our own taco shells and enchilada wrappers from prepared corn tortillas — they were certainly delicious.
Corn tortillas are made from a special dough called masa. Masa is made from dried corn that’s soaked and ground into a thick starchy paste. Tortillas are not hard to make, and some stores even carry the dough ready-made.
BASIC CORN
TORTILLA RECIPE
(makes 10-12 tortillas)
2 cups Instant Corn Masa Mix (Masa de Maize Instancia)
2 tsp. salt
1-1/4 cup water, room temperature
Blend the dry mix and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Gradually stir in water to form a stiff crumbly dough. Knead the dough smooth with your hands for about five minutes.
If any dry mix remains in the bottom of the bowl or the dough cracks and crumbles as you work it, add a little more water, one teaspoon at a time. If too much water is added, the dough may become sticky. Just add a little more masa. The dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl and should cleanly roll in your hands. This can be somewhat of an art, and with practice you will recognize the right consistency. Let the dough “rest” covered in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Tortillas can be patted out by hand or formed with a press. If you use a press, cover the surfaces with plastic wrap or wax paper to help with cleanup.
Remove masa from the refrigerator and pinch out a golf ball sized portion. Keep the rest of the dough covered to prevent drying out. Roll into a ball and put it in the center of your tortilla press. Close the press and use moderate pressure, squeezing it several times to produce the desired thinness. Thinner tortillas cook faster, are more flexible, and wrap well. Thicker tortillas are chewier and sturdier for dipping into stews.
Carefully open the tortilla press, peel the tortilla off the plastic wrap and place it immediately on a preheated (medium - medium high) griddle. It should sizzle softly.
The tortilla will begin to look "dry" or small bubbles may appear on its surface within 20 to 30 seconds. Flip and cook 45 seconds more. (If the tortilla sticks to the griddle, it is either not ready to flip or the griddle is not hot enough.) Flip back over and cook for an another 15 to 20 seconds to finish. The tortilla is done when it slightly puffs from the steam inside, or when all appearance of wetness is gone.
Scattered brown spots on the tortilla are normal; homemade tortillas do not have the even color of store bought. Dark brown or burnt spots mean the griddle is too hot. Scoop up your cooked tortilla and pop into a warmer or towel-lined basket. Keep them covered to prevent them from drying out
Perfectly cooked tortillas are flexible, tender, and slightly flaky in texture. All you need is to get a feel for the process and you’ll find it easy to do whenever you like. Enjoy them while still warm, or freeze in zip-close bags with waxed paper in between to reheat later.
BBQ CHICKEN
QUESADILLAS
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. cilantro leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. green onion, chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 red onion, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
Combine the oil, ginger, garlic, cilantro, green onion, and red pepper. Add the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken and sear on both sides. Place the pan in the oven and roast until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
While the chicken is roasting, drizzle the onion slices with oil and fry them in a hot skillet until soft, about four minutes per side. Remove from heat.
Toss the chicken with the barbecue sauce, to taste. Place four tortillas on a flat surface. Sprinkle some cheese on each tortilla. Top with some of the chicken and grilled onions. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat (you might use the one you cooked the onions in). Melt one tablespoon of butter until foamy (you could substitute olive oil). Place one quesadilla in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, pressing with a spatula to meld everything together. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas, adding more butter as necessary.
Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges and serve with sour cream and pico de gallo.
Just as when making chips, tortillas can be hard-fried into shapes. You often see this as restaurants where small tortillas are actually cups to hold condiments or salads. If you’ve got something to press them with, you can do it at home!
It would be possible to use two nesting ladles, but the “birds nest” wire baskets are easier, and fairly cheap at Mexican or Asian import markets. A riskier technique is to lay the tortilla on the surface of the hot oil, then immediately push the center to the bottom with a small, empty tin can, thus creating a free form cup. Be sure to use tongs and elbow-length heat resistant gloves to protect yourself.
TORTILLA CUPS
Peanut or canola oil, for frying
Small, thin corn tortillas, about 8-inches in diameter, however many you need
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat five to six inches of oil to 375 degrees. Fry the tortillas, one at a time for about 10 seconds until they are soft. Remove and drain on paper towels, then reserve, covered, in a warm spot.
Heat wire "bird nest" baskets in the hot oil for several seconds, or until they are very hot. Fit a soft tortilla into the bottom basket and place the smaller basket on top of the tortilla. Immerse the baskets in the hot oil and cook until the tortilla is crispy and golden brown. Remove the tortilla cup from the basket and invert on paper towels to drain. Repeat.
Fill your tortilla cups with anything from ceviche to guacamole to fried ice cream. Very special!
Next week we’ll visit with Eileen and John Stephens, who regularly visit Emporia from the town of Millom in Cambria, England. I’m awaiting your homemade salad dressing recipes, and issue this challenge: What do you like to do with rice? We were talking about rice earlier this summer—do you have a special, tasty rice recipe to share?
Send it in to murphysmenu@yahoo.com, or 517 Merchant St., Emporia, 66801. The deadline is October 1. Let’s Get Cooking!