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Pass the Tortillas

Handmade Flavors of Mexico

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Tortillas

Servings: 30 small tortillas
Traditionally, tortillas were shaped by hand without a tortilla press. My grandma used to make them like that, and in some small communities women still do. If using a tortilla press, you’ll need a really thin sheet of plastic, like the kind used by a butcher when weighing out meat. In Mexico, women recycle thin plastic bags from the corner shop. They wash, disinfect, and dry the bags with a towel before cutting them to the size of the tortilla press. Parchment paper is a readily available replacement. The number of tortillas the recipe makes will depend on the size you shape them — they could be small (1 oz. each), medium (2 oz. each) or large (3 oz. each).

Ingredients
  

Nixtamal
  • 2¼ lb. dried corn kernels (maize)
  • 8 cups water
  • 2-3 tsp. calcium hydroxide (see notes)
Nixtamalized Corn Dough
  • 2¼ lb. nixtamal or nixtamalized corn flour
  • 1 Tbsp. salt, optional

Instructions
 

  • To make the nixtamal, place all the ingredients in a large saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until al dente. Remove from the heat and leave to rest overnight.
  • Rinse the nixtamalized corn in a sieve/strainer with cold running water to remove as much of the skins as possible.
  • Pass the rinsed corn through a metallic hand mill to make a smooth paste. You may need to pass it through the mill twice to achieve the right consistency. The soaked corn is partially rehydrated and will already look like dough once milled. You can add a little water when milling, but be careful not to add too much, otherwise it will be difficult to shape the tortillas. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky.
  • If you’re using nixtamalized corn flour instead of nixtamal, rehydrate the corn flour by gradually adding warm water (about a cup of water for every cup of flour) until it forms into a dough.
  • On a clean surface, work the nixtamalized corn dough to a smooth texture. Knead the salt into the dough, if using. The dough shouldn’t stick to your hands easily and should have a clay-like texture.
  • Divide the dough into equal portions according to the size of tortillas you want to make. When not in use, always cover the portioned dough with a damp dish towel to stop it from drying out and becoming too hard to use.
  • Preheat a large frying pan/skillet over a high heat — ideally you want to use one with very low sides, almost like a crêpe pan.
  • Before you start to make the tortillas, make sure you have a place to put them once they’re ready. In Mexico, they have special baskets and use a clean, dry dish towel to cover them until needed. If you don’t have a basket, a medium-sized bowl or plate will work just as well.
  • Place 2 thin sheets of plastic inside the tortilla press. Shape one of the portions of dough into a ball. Work and roll the dough into a perfectly round ball for best results. Place it in between the plastic in the tortilla press and close — don’t press too hard, but also not too soft. The tortilla should be about ¹⁄8 inch thick.
  • Place the tortilla in the hot, dry pan over a medium-high heat. Cook for about 20 seconds, turn, and then cook for another 60 to 90 seconds. Turn and cook again for another 20 seconds. It’s a quick process, but if you follow the cooking times, your tortilla should puff up. It takes practice. Continue until you’ve used up all the dough.
  • Either use the tortillas right away or warm them up again before serving by putting them in a dry pan over a medium-high heat for 20 to 30 seconds on each side. The tortillas should be used within 3 days or can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Notes

Chef Adriana’s Notes for Perfect Tortillas
  • The quantity of calcium hydroxide needed depends on its quality. The only way to know exactly how much you need to use is to adjust the quantity each time you make tortillas and settle on the amount that works best for you — 15 g per ½ oz. is the amount that I generally use.
  • If you want to keep the tortillas for use the next day, wrap them in a clean, dry dish towel and place them inside a plastic bag so they don’t dry out.
  • Fried tortillas make an excellent garnish. Cut the tortillas into thin strips, heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a saucepan, and fry the tortilla strips. Place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

TIP

This recipe calls for a grain hand mill. If you’re a fan of authentic Mexican cuisine, you may want to invest in one.

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Chilaquiles

Servings: 6
This is one of the most traditional breakfasts in Mexico. Usually we add epazote, a Mexican herb, but as it’s difficult to find outside of Mexico, you can use hoja santa powder or fresh cilantro instead.

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups neutral frying oil of choice
  • 30 tortillas, cut into triangles
Sauce
  • 8-10 dried morita chiles, seeds and veins removed
  • 2¼ lb. ripe tomatoes, asados
  • ½ large white onion, asada
  • 5 garlic cloves, asado
  • 1 Tbsp. sea salt
  • ⅔ cup olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
To Serve
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 10½ oz. feta cheese (or use Parmesan for a stronger flavor)
  • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tsp. hoja santa powder)

Instructions
 

  • First, make the sauce. Put the dried chillies in a bowl of warm water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Drain and discard the soaking water, or reserve the liquid and use to loosen the sauce when it’s blended if you like more spice.
  • Add the asados vegetables to a food processor with the soaked chiles and salt, then blend together until combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve/strainer to create a smoother mixture, if desired.
  • Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the strained sauce and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the stock (or chile soaking water) and cilantro and cook for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep the sauce simmering over a low heat while you cook the tortillas. The sauce needs to be quite liquid, otherwise the chilaquiles will be too dry — you can add more of the chile soaking water if needed.
  • Preheat the oil in a deep saucepan to 325°F on a cooking thermometer. Deep-fry the tortillas in the hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Place the fried tortillas (totopos) on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
  • Increase the heat under the sauce — it needs to be very hot when you add the totopos. Add the totopos to the sauce and gently mix everything together.
  • As soon as the totopos are well coated, immediately pour the chilaquiles onto a serving platter — you need to do this quickly and then serve them straight away in order to enjoy the chilaquiles while they’re still crunchy. Top with sour cream, feta, red onion, avocado, and cilantro.

ASADA/ASADO/ASADOS

To “asar” means to cook something over charcoal until the skin has charred all over and the vegetable is soft. Traditionally this is done on top of the coals or embers of a fire, but you can achieve the same results in a hot, dry frying pan or skillet or in an oven preheated to 400°F for 15 minutes.

Cocina Mexicana: Fresh, Vibrant Recipes for Authentic Mexican Food

Adriana Cavita

Experience authentic Mexican dishes on a culinary journey around the country with a celebrated chef and restaurateur.

Are you making chilaquiles? Share your pictures with us by tagging @mollymymag.

Photography: Clare Winfield

Adapted from “Cocina Mexicana: Fresh, Vibrant Recipes for Authentic Mexican Food” by Adriana Cavita, Ryland Peters & Small.

Adriana Cavita

Chef and Restaurant Owner

Adriana Cavita grew up in a small village in Mexico. It was her grandmother’s street-food business that inspired her to enter the culinary arts and travel to learn more regional cooking methods. She was 19 in 2006 when she joined Chef Enrique Olvera’s Pujol — currently ranked #9 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2011, she worked under Chef Ferran Adrià as Chef de Partie at El Bulli in Spain. In 2022, Adriana realized her dream of opening her own restaurant. Cavita, in London, is the culmination of her outstanding training and the knowledge gained on her journeys throughout Mexico.

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