Entomatadas

In recent years, I have become increasingly obsessed with making perfect homemade corn tortillas. In this quest, I have studiously tested different brands of masa harina, noted the effects slight adjustments to the cooking temperature can make, and even, (thanks to a generous birthday gift), upgraded to a hefty Oaxacan tortilla press made by a small renowned maker. With all these tortillas floating around, I am always researching delicious uses for them in the kitchen. From tacos, or enchiladas, to crispy taquitos, and migas con huevos, thankfully, the options are endless.

Here, tortillas are lightly fried then dipped in a bright tomato sauce, for a comforting dish similar to simple cheese enchiladas. Entomatadas are wonderful with fried eggs for brunch, or with a salad and grilled meat for a light lunch. Rest assured, for this recipe, store bought tortillas work just fine.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

1 ½ pounds tomatoes, quartered

2 serrano chilis

2 tablespoons safflower, or canola oil

½ medium white onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 whole black peppercorns

½ cup water

3 small leafy stems epazote, or cilantro

Salt

For the entomatadas:

¼ cup safflower oil, or canola oil

12 corn tortillas, homemade or store bought

To serve:

½ medium white onion, cut into thin rings

¾ cup queso fresco, crumbled

1 small bunch fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

First make the sauce for the entomatadas. In a large skillet with high sides, add the tomatoes, ¼ cup water, and 1 tablespoon oil. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Cook until tomatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes are stewing, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the chilis in the dry skillet, turning often, until soft and blistered. When the chilis are done, remove them from the pan and rest on a cutting board. When slightly cooled, coarsely chop and set aside.

Set skillet over medium heat and heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and whole garlic cloves to the hot pan and cook until they develop a golden-brown color. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Next, use a slotted spoon to transfer the onions and garlic to the jar of a blender along with ½ cup of water, and the whole peppercorns. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

At this point your tomatoes should be very soft. Add half of the tomatoes, and the chopped chilis, to the blender with the onion mixture. Start blending on low, then gradually increase the speed, and blend until smooth. When blending hot things, be sure to open the vent on your blender lid. Next, add the remaining tomatoes and all of their juices from the pan. Continue to blend until you have a perfectly smooth sauce.

In the same skillet you browned the onions, heat another tablespoon of oil over medium-high until hot. Then, pour in the sauce all at once. Be careful, there will be hot splatters of the sauce and oil. Add the 3 whole sprigs of epazote or cilantro, and season to taste with salt. Continue to cook, stirring and scrapping the bottom of pan, until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Heat ¼ cup of the oil in small skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the tortillas, one at a time for a few seconds on each side. The tortillas will soften and start to slightly puff, but do not let them crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on a sheet pan lined with paper towels.

When ready to serve, set up an assembly line so that you can quickly assemble the entomatadas. Have all your garnishes sliced and ready. Reheat the sauce over medium heat. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a little water and heat through. Working one at a time, quickly immerse the fried tortillas in the sauce so that both sides get covered in sauce. Then as you go, add a little crumbled cheese to the top of each tortilla, fold in half, and then into quarters. Place the folded triangles into a warm serving dish. When all the entomatadas are arranged in the dish, garnish the top with more of the crumbled cheese, thin onion slices, and the cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes:

This dish is particularly popular in the Mexican state of Oaxaca where it is often served as a light luncheon meal, or with fried eggs for brunch. It is also lovely as a side dish to grilled or broiled meats. I like to serve entomatadas with other fresh garnishes on the side such as sliced radishes and fresh avocado. Any leftover sauce can be served in a bowl for passing around the table.

The sauce for this dish can easily be made ahead of time and reheated. However, the frying of the tortillas and the assembly of the entomatadas must be done at the last moment before serving. Buen provecho!