There is something to be said about themed-meals, especially with an excuse as good as Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday (or Taco Anyday, for that matter).
Mexican night is one of our favourites, which tends to happen whenever a ripe avocado or leftover chili is waiting to be put to good use.
However, the heart of Mexican food rests in tortillas.
homemade is the way to go
Some of you may think making these from scratch is just too much trouble, and store-bought ones “will do just fine”; but believe us when we say they make one hell of a difference.
So here is our tried and true recipe for these foundations of tastiness – and if you happen to try it, let us know your thoughts!
a “family-cookbook-worthy” recipe
ingredients (2 servings)
- 130 g wheat flour (“00” type in Italy; “T65” in Portugal; the finest one you can find in your country)
- 80 g hot water (but not boiling)
- Olive oil to taste (we usually go for about 5 g)
- 1 g salt
- 2 g sugar
method
- Measure and mix all dry ingredients
- Heat up the water, and add it to the mixture.
- While it’s still warm, incorporate olive oil and mix with a spoon until you have a smooth, soft dough.
- Once the temperature allows it, work the dough with your hands until it has an elastic consistency (but doesn’t stick to your hands). If needed, add more water, oil, or flour to get the desired consistency.
- When you’re happy with the mixture, divide and roll the dough into about 6 golf balls.
- Flatten them slightly with your hand and roll each one out to form your tortilla; it should be as thin and near-transparent as possible.
- While doing this, heat a non-stick pan to cook the tortillas. We usually go for the one where we make pancakes – but a cast iron skillet or heavy-based frying pan should work, too.
- Without adding any oil, place a tortilla into the hot pan and let it cook for a minute or so; flip and cook for 30 seconds on the other side.
- When you get them out of the pan, place the tortillas in a tea-towel and wrap them while you cook the next one; this way they’ll be stacked together, and the heat will keep them soft and warm.
tips / good to know
- Dough
- Feel free to make the dough ahead and store it in the fridge (up to 24 hours) or freezer (3 months, tops). When it’s time to use it, let it reach room temperature before dividing and rolling the dough.
- Tortillas don’t need to be perfect circles; we guarantee you’ll enjoy the odd-edged versions all the same – but do aim for an even thickness when rolling the dough.
- Temperatures
- Hot water is important – but it doesn’t need to be boiling, otherwise you’ll have trouble working the mix with your hands. We often start mixing with a spoon until the temperature is low enough for the dough to be handled.
- A hot pan is also important, so the tortilla starts cooking right away. Don’t leave it for more than 90 seconds in the heat, and adjust the temperature as needed (to avoid paleness or dark spots).
- Storing Tortillas
- They should last 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze cooked tortillas flat in a ziplock bag, between parchment paper – and they should be good for about 6 months.
- When reusing stored tortillas, begin by letting them reach room temperature; then, you can either:
- use a bread toaster to bring the tortillas back to life;
- wrap them in foil and let the oven do the work – 10 minutes should do it!
Now the hard part might be choosing the right filling for your tortillas – but in the wise words of Gabriela Cámara (author of the My Mexico City Kitchen cookbook): Everything can be a taco!
