Homemade Cajun Tortillas Food

HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Stir in the vegetable oil, then slowly pour in the hot water, stirring gently. When the dough comes together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it gently a few times to smooth it out.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Pinch off a piece of dough slightly smaller than a Ping-Pong ball and roll it into a 5-inch circle. It should be extremely thin.
• Cook on the dry skillet for about 1 minute on the first side, until it starts to brown a little, then flip it and cook for about 30 seconds on the second side. Remove and stack onto a kitchen towel, then repeat with the rest. As you stack the tortillas, wrap them in the kitchen towel while you cook the next ones.

HOMEMADE CAJUN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the oil with the Cajun spice mix. Brush the spiced oil over tortillas, stacking the tortillas on top of each other as you go. Cut the stack into 8 wedges. Separate the wedges and evenly spread out on baking sheets and bake for 6-7 mins until golden and crisp.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine masa harina and water; mix well with your hands. When dough forms, begin kneading in the bowl. Continue adding water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough becomes smooth and thick; it should be the consistency of Play-Doh. Roll dough into a ball slightly smaller than a golf ball (1.5 oz or 40 g). Set aside on a baking sheet, covering with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
• Preheat a comal or skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut freezer bag along either side to create a large plastic sheet; prepare the tortilla press by covering the bottom plate with half the sheet. Place a tortilla ball in the center of the bottom plate and flatten slightly with your hand; then cover the ball with the other half of the plastic sheet. Lower the press firmly so that the dough is sandwiched between the two plates. Open the press, flip the circle of dough (still sandwiched in plastic), and press again. Remove the flattened tortilla: it should be about 6 inches in diameter and an even thickness throughout.
• Test the comal by splashing a few drops of water on the surface; they should sizzle immediately. Remove raw tortilla from plastic and gently place onto the center of the comal. Watch for the edge of the tortilla to begin to dry out and turn opaque, 1 minute. Flip and cook the other side until the tortilla turns opaque and blistery, 1 more minute. Flip back to the first side and let it cook for a final 30 seconds. It will puff up like a balloon when it's cooked through. If the edges of the tortilla look grainy and dry, mix 1 tablespoon of water into the dough; make another dough ball and repeat the process of pressing and cooking.Once you've made your first "perfect" tortilla, you know the consistency is correct. Turn the rest of the dough into dough balls, lining them up on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a damp towel throughout the pressing and cooking process.
• Line a basket or bowl with a dry towel and store the cooked tortillas in a stack, covering as you go. Wrapped up, they should stay warm for about an hour. (Alternatively, microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds.) Use cooked tortillas for Chef Cámara's Baja-Style Fish Tacos and Tinga de Pollo Tacos. For her Egg-Stuffed Tortillas and Deep-Fried Cheese Quesadillas, you will need to begin with uncooked tortillas.

HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes., Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle., In a greased cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook tortillas over medium heat until lightly browned, 1 minute on each side. Serve warm.

TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, vegetable oil and salt in a bowl. Pour over 150ml warm water and knead to bring the mixture together. Remove from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured work surface for around 5 mins until you make a soft, smooth ball of dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and rest for at least 15 mins before rolling out.
• Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 75g each). Roll out each ball of dough as thinly as possible on a floured work surface. They should make rounds about 20 cm wide, 2mm thick.
• Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the tortillas for 1-2 mins on each side until golden brown and toasted. Wrap them in foil and cover in a tea towel to keep warm, while you cook the rest. Keeps for two days well wrapped, or cool, wrap and freeze for up to three months.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Either by hand or with a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening till the mixture is crumbly. If the mixture looks more floury than crumbly, be sure to add just one or two more tablespoons of shortening till it is crumbly. Add about 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture, or just enough to make the ingredients look moist.
• With your hand or a large fork, knead the mixture making sure to rub the dough against the sides of the large mixing bowl to gather any clinging dough. If the dough still sticks to the side of the bowl, add a couple more tablespoons of flour until the dough forms a soft round shape. The dough is ready to roll out now, but it is best to let it rest. Cover it with a dish towel, and let it sit for about an hour or so.
• Take the dough, and pull it apart into 10 to 12 balls. Lightly flour your rolling area, and roll each ball with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness.
• Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla does not look doughy.

EASY CHICKEN FAJITAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and wrap 6 medium tortillas in foil.
• Mix 1 heaped tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp ground coriander, a pinch of ground cumin, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 4 tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1 lime and 4-5 drops Tabasco together in a bowl with a big pinch each of salt and pepper.
• Stir 2 finely sliced chicken breasts, 1 finely sliced red onion, 1 sliced red pepper and 1 finely sliced red chilli, if using, into the marinade.
• Heat a griddle pan until smoking hot and add the chicken and marinade to the pan.
• Keep everything moving over a high heat for about 5 mins using tongs until you get a nice charred effect. If your griddle pan is small you may need to do this in two batches.
• To check the chicken is cooked, find the thickest part and tear in half - if any part is still raw cook until done.
• Put the tortillas in the oven to heat up and serve with the cooked chicken, a bag of mixed salad and one 230g tub of fresh salsa.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Set a comal, a flat griddle, or a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until thoroughly heated. (If the pan isn't hot enough, the tortillas will stick to it.)
• Meanwhile, cut two circles about the size of the tortilla press plates (or at least 6 inches in diameter if using a rolling pin) out of thin plastic bags, such as produce bags from the grocery store; do not use plastic wrap.
• In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina, salt, and water and then knead in a circular motion until the dough feels smooth and without lumps. It shouldn't be wet or sticky but nice and moist. If it feels coarse when you gather the dough together, add a bit more water. Masa dries out fast, so keep it covered while you make the tortillas.
• Roll a piece of the dough in the palm of your hand into a ball about 1½ inches in diameter. Place one of the plastic circles on the bottom of the tortilla press and place the ball on top. Place the other plastic circle on top of the ball and clamp down the press to make a flat disk, jiggling the press a little as you get to the bottom (this makes for a rounder tortilla). It should be about 5 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Alternatively, you can place a ball between plastic sheets or parchment paper and roll out the tortillas with a rolling pin.
• Open the press, check the tortilla for dryness (see Cook's Trick), and add water to the dough if needed. Remove the plastic on top of the tortilla, then lift up the bottom piece of plastic and the tortilla with one hand and peel the tortilla away from the plastic with the other hand. Keep at least half of the tortilla off your hand to make it easier to transfer it swiftly to the hot pan.
• Place the tortilla on the hot surface and don't touch it for 30 seconds-even if it doesn't lie completely flat, resist the temptation to fiddle with it! Cook until you can easily lift it with a spatula, 40 seconds to 1 minute; it should be opaque on the cooked side. Flip and cook for about a minute longer, until it has begun to get brown freckles. Flip once more. After 10 to 15 seconds, the tortilla should puff like pita bread, if not all over, at least in one area. If it is not puffing, gently tease it along by poking it in the center with the tip of your finger. Once it puffs, let the tortilla continue cooking for another 15 to 20 seconds, so that it cooks all the way through. That extra cooking is what makes the difference between stiff tortillas and those that are toothy, tender, and pliable.
• Transfer the cooked tortilla to a clean kitchen towel or a cloth-lined tortillero (a tortilla basket, which looks just like a bread basket) and cover to keep warm while you make the rest of the tortillas.
• Cook's Trick
• The masa has to be as soft and smooth as Play-Doh. This has less to do with the kneading-which takes under a minute-than with the amount of water. The measurement given on most bags for masa harina is too low. Here I give you the measurement that works for me. Things will vary, however, according to climate and ingredients. One way to tell if your masa needs more water is to take a look at the first tortilla after you have pressed it out. If the edges seem cracked and rough, you need more water. The tortilla should be smooth and even along the edges, not at all ridged.