Panamanian Tortillas Thick Corn Cakes Recipes

CORN TORTILLAS FROM MASA HARINA

Steps:

• Cut 2 10-inch squares of thick plastic from a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag and set aside to line an 8-inch tortilla press.
• Place the corn flour in a large bowl. Slowly add 2 1/4 cups hot tap water, kneading it in with your fingers. Once all the water has been added, knead until dough is smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. The masa should be very soft but not sticky, about the consistency of Play-Doh. If it is too dry, work in more water, 2 tablespoons at a time. If it is too wet, continue kneading until it dries out a bit or knead in additional corn flour. Masa dries out very quickly, so once it is at the right consistency, keep it covered with a damp kitchen towel.
• Heat a pancake griddle or a heavy nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. The goal is a steady medium-low heat.
• Pinch off about 2 ounces masa and roll into a ball about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Flatten lightly between your palms to make a 2 1/2-inch round. Place one sheet of plastic on the bottom of the open tortilla press and place the dough in the center. Cover with the other sheet of plastic and press the lever gently but firmly to flatten the dough. Don't crank the lever down as hard as you can because the tortilla will be too thin.
• Flip the tortilla (still in the plastic) and press lightly again into an even 6- to 6 1/2-inch round. Place the tortilla (still in the plastic) in your left palm. Use your other hand to peel off the plastic, then invert the tortilla onto your right palm and peel off the other plastic. Gently release the tortilla onto the cooking surface.
• Watching carefully, cook just until one of the edges begins to appear dry, 15 to 25 seconds. (If you overcook the tortilla at this step, it will not cook properly.) Flip the tortilla and cook on the second side just until it is speckled with brown spots, 1 to 2 minutes, rotating it once. Flip the tortilla back to the first side. The tortilla might begin to puff at this stage. When it is just beginning to brown on the bottom, flip again, back to the second side, and move to a cooler part of the cooking surface, toward an edge. Let the tortilla finish cooking there until most of it appears translucent when held up to the light, 30 to 60 seconds.
• Stack cooked tortillas in a basket lined with a large napkin that you can fold over the top, which will let them continue steaming, keeping them soft and pliable. If not using immediately, store cooked tortillas in the refrigerator, well wrapped. To reheat, place directly on a hot surface or wrap in a damp towel and heat in the microwave for a few seconds.

MINI TORTILLAS WITH CORN MUSHROOMS AND FRESH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Combine tortilla flour and water in a large bowl and knead with your hands until a uniform dough forms, about 1 minute. Pinch off enough dough to form a scant 3/4-inch ball. (Dough should be moist but not sticky when formed into a ball. If necessary, knead a little more tortilla flour or water into dough.) Form remaining dough into 3/4-inch balls, transferring to a plate, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Very lightly oil comal (or pizza pan), then heat over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes.
• Press 1 ball of dough between plastic squares in tortilla press to form a 3-inch tortilla (about 1/16 inch thick). Peel off 1 plastic square, then, holding tortilla in your palm, carefully peel off other square and gently transfer tortilla to comal.
• Cook until edges just loosen from comal and small brown spots appear on underside, 30 to 45 seconds. Turn over and cook, pressing flat with a metal spatula if necessary, until brown spots appear on underside, about 45 seconds. Turn over again and cook, pressing down with spatula, until tortilla inflates slightly (this may not always happen), 10 to 15 seconds. Enclose tortilla in folded cloth to keep warm and moist.
• Make more tortillas, stacking them in cloth. (Once you get a rhythm going, cook more than 1 tortilla at a time.)
• Cook garlic, chile, and 1/2 cup onion (reserve remainder for Garnish) in 2 tablespoons lard in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add huitlacoche and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Warm remaining 2 tablespoons lard (if using) to liquefy. Heat comal (or pizza pan) over medium heat until hot, then heat 8 mini tortillas, brushing tops lightly with some of lard (about 3/4 teaspoon each). While heating tortillas (1 to 2 minutes total), top each with about 1/2 teaspoon salsa, a sprinkling of reserved raw onion, and a rounded teaspoon huitlacoche mixture.
• Transfer chalupas to a platter, then sprinkle with queso fresco and serve immediately.
• Keep comal warm and repeat procedure when ready to serve next batch of chalupas.

PANAMANIAN TORTILLAS (THICK CORN CAKES)

Steps:

• Mix the water, mix, salt, rice flour, and sugar (optional) with a spoon.
• Knead with wet hands in bowl (wet hands keep it from sticking, so if it starts to stick just get your hands wet again).
• It will form into a mixture called "masa".
• Get bunches of the masa and form them into circles. Make sure the edges are pinched (no creases or cracks), and that the thickness is consistent (about 1 or 2 cm thick).
• To bake, put some of the butter in the pan and spread evenly. Heat the butter on med high.
• When butter is heated, place masa circles on the pan and let bake.
• Flip them every 2 or 3 min to evenly cook without burning.
• They will start to puff up and get golden.
• It should take about 10 min to cook thoroughly, but make sure not to overdo them--no one likes a burned tortilla!
• Repeat the steps until all the circles are baked through.

CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Place fresh masa or masa harina mixture in large bowl. Add warm water to dough by tablespoonfuls as needed, kneading until dough is soft, smooth, and pliable but not sticky. Shape 3 tablespoons dough into ball for each tortilla and arrange on sheet of foil; cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
• Place 1 large griddle or skillet over medium-low heat; place second large griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Cut two 8-inch rounds from 1 heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Place 1 plastic round on bottom half of tortilla press; place 1 dough ball in center. Top with second plastic round. Close press, flattening dough to 5-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). If tortilla thickness is uneven, lift dough round in plastic and rotate 180 degrees. Press tortilla lightly to even out.
• Peel off top sheet of plastic. Use bottom plastic round to transfer tortilla to 1 hand with part of tortilla dangling off; peel off plastic round. Hold hand with tortilla over cooler griddle. Let dangling portion of tortilla catch at front half of griddle and slowly sweep hand backward, easing tortilla onto griddle without wrinkling. Cook tortilla until it looks slightly dry at edges and starts to release from griddle surface, about 45 seconds. Lift tortilla with fingers and place, uncooked side down, on hotter griddle. Cook until brown spots appear on bottom, about 1 minute. On same griddle, turn tortilla over again. Cook until bottom browns and parts of tortilla puff up, about 1 minute longer. Transfer tortilla to cloth-lined basket and cover with cloth or wrap tortilla in large sheet of foil and keep warm in 250°F oven. Repeat with remaining dough balls, adding tortillas to basket or foil packet. (Tortillas can be made 2 hours ahead. Wrap in aluminum foil. Rewarm in 300°F oven 15 minutes.)