CORN TORTILLAS

(Tortillas de Maiz)

In Mexico, tortillas are usually made fresh every day and served hot off the griddle. Once you taste these, it’ll be hard to go back to store-bought again. Masa harina is a special corn flour used to make tortillas. You can learn to flatten them by hand, but it’ll take some practice (although the little ladies of Oaxaca make it look so easy!). I use plastic bags to keep the dough from making a sticky mess. A tortilla press makes the job faster and you’ll get nice round tortillas each time, but a rolling pin works just as well. Serve with fajitas, as wraps for tacos, or just with some salsa on the side.

MAKES TWELVE 5- TO 6-INCH TORTILLAS

2 cups masa harina

½ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the masa, salt, and 1½ cups room-temperature water. Keep mixing with your hands until the dough can be formed into a ball.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces that are roughly equal. (The best way to do this is to divide the dough in half, then divide the halves into thirds, and then divide the thirds into halves.)

Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat (see note).

Cut a large resealable plastic bag (see note) so that it opens flat and lay it on your tortilla press. Place a ball of dough in the middle, between the folded sheets of plastic. Press it into a disk. Carefully peel the dough from the plastic bag and place it on the hot skillet. Cook until the tortilla is lightly whitened (about 30 seconds). Flip with a spatula (although I’ve seen braver women than I just flip them with their bare fingers) and let it cook until lightly whitened, another 30 seconds or so. Remove and place on a platter or plate. Keep the tortillas warm by covering them with a kitchen towel. Repeat until all the tortillas are cooked and ready to serve.

NOTE: A nonstick pan or well-seasoned comal or cast-iron skillet keeps you from having to use any oil when cooking the tortillas. You can also use waxed paper in place of a plastic bag when working with the tortilla press.

VARIATION: If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can use a rolling pin. Place a cut plastic bag on a flat rolling surface. Put a ball of dough in the middle between the 2 sheets of plastic. Roll out with a rolling pin until your tortilla is 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Carefully peel off the plastic bag. Cook as directed above. Don’t worry about them being perfectly round. Your tortillas will be a bit rough around the edges at first, but that’s part of the homemade charm.