Just a word of warning... Once you make these tortillas you will never be able to eat store bought tortillas again. Ever.
I made these delicious wraps to go with the Lime Chicken Tacos that I made for Amy’s Mexican birthday feast. Everyone agreed that they were amazing. Kristian generally opts for a flour tortilla, rather then the corn, but even he conceded, stating that they were the best tortillas he had ever had!
Traditionally a tortilla press is used to flatten out these beauties, but because we are on a bit of a budget and couldn’t buy one for our London kitchen, I was able to get the job done with a rolling pin and a bit of patience.
The cooking time is very quick, as they require less than a minute each in a hot pan. Just a couple of flips with the spatula and they are done!
It is so satisfying biting into a freshly made tortilla, still warm from the pan. Bliss.
MAKES 10-12 TORTILLAS
250g masa harina*
325ml hot water
Measure out the flour and place in a medium sized bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the hot water, stirring until it comes together. The dough should have a clay type texture and should hold together nicely, but shouldn’t be sticky.
Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 10-12 even portions and roll them into balls.
If you are using a tortilla press, line it with cling film, place the ball on top and add another layer of cling film so it won’t stick and then flatten the tortilla.
If you are using a rolling pin, place the dough in the centre of a piece of cling film. Place another piece on top and roll into a round disk, about 2mm thick.
As you flatten them out, place them on a plate lined with baking paper, placing a piece in between each tortilla as you stack them up on top each other.
When they are all flattened out, heat a frypan or griddle over high heat. When the pan is hot, put one tortilla in. Cook on one side for 30 seconds, then flip over and cook for 15 more seconds on the other side. Flip one more time and cook for a further 10 seconds.
Wrap the cooked tortillas in a clean tea towel as you cook them so they stay warm.
Serve with your choice of taco filling. Lime Chicken is delicious!
*Masa harina is a fine corn flour used for making tortillas. You can find it many grocery stores and supermarkets. I purchased mine at Wholefoods.