This spring a mom visited my daughter’s class for a cooking project. She made corn tortillas with them, using a tortilla press. I heard the kids had a great time with it and, not wanting to be left out of the fun, I had to try it for myself.
Immediately I could see the appeal. The dough comes together like play dough – no wonder the kindergarteners took to it so readily. And because there’s no gluten in the flour, you don’t have to worry about over- or under-working the dough. The flour is masa, which is made of lime-treated corn (like the hominy used in grits). It’s really very easy. I just followed the directions on the bag of flour (which I am basically repeating below). I’m sure that using a tortilla press to flatten the dough down makes the project even more of a Play-Doh Fun Factory. Alas, I don’t have a tortilla press but I did just fine with a rolling pin. And the extra work was rewarded when I got to build a colorful stack of my favorite fresh summer ingredients on top of the tortilla.
Instead of the traditional cotija cheese, I used ricotta salata. I love adding this cheese to salads and some pasta dishes too. It has a clean, milky flavor, with just enough tang and salt to add flavor without being overpowering.
Makes 8 tortillas
Preparation time: 45 minutes
For corn-tomato salad:
3 ears fresh corn, cooked
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 small sweet green or bell pepper, diced
juice of about ½ lime
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
For tortillas:
1 cup corn masa flour (such as Maseca brand)
2/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
For crab:
2 cups fresh fully cooked crabmeat (you can also defrost frozen crabmeat, which I did but it’s just not the same)
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
½ lime, quartered (use the other half of the lime for the salad)
Other fillings:
Guacamole, see recipe
8 small butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried well
½ cup crumbled ricotta salata
- Prepare the tomato corn salad: Remove the kernels from the cob by holding the cob vertically on a cutting board or into a steady bowl and slicing the kernels off in strips with several downward motions of a chef’s knife. Toss vegetables together. Dress with lime juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Refrigerate the salad while you prepare tortillas.
- Prepare tortillas: Mix together tortilla ingredients until they come together as a soft dough similar in texture to play dough. If the dough is somewhat dry or crumbly when you try to roll a portion of it, stir in another tablespoon or so of water. Roll dough into 8 balls.
- If you have a tortilla press, you can use it to press the balls into 6-inch tortillas. Otherwise, roll out the tortilla between two sheets of wax paper or silicone liner. If you want the tortilla to be perfectly circular, use the rim of a cereal bowl to cut out circles. Keep both the unrolled balls and the rolled-out tortillas moist by covering them with a damp towel while you work.
- Heat a comal, griddle, crepe pan, or cast iron skillet with low sides over medium-high heat. Cook tortillas for about 1 minute on each side. When they are done, they should have a dry appearance on the surface but still be tender and pliable. Place tortillas in a dish covered with a napkin to keep warm and soft.
- Serve crab and other fillings: Put the crab in a serving dish and garnish with chives. Serve the lime wedges alongside. Serve guacamole, lettuce, and cheese in small dishes so that each person can assemble their tortilla as they like.
Wow - SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!
Posted by: Kris @Krazy_Kris | 08/21/2011 at 05:50 PM