Last weekend, Scotty and I went to a Mexican restaurant here in Sydney. The food was great but we came out of the meal $50 lighter per person and thought… for that kind of money, we could totally do that ourselves!
As a result, this week I sourced a tortilla press and the masa flour online from Fireworks Foods here in Sydney and it all arrived on Thursday afternoon, ready for weekend taco making.
Scotty and I love making tacos (see Fiesta Mexicana) but we have never tried making the tortillas. The thought of being that authentic made me excited, so yesterday morning while Scotty went off to run errands, I headed to our favourite local growers market to source avocados, corn, chilli, coriander, red onion and all the other bits and bobs needed for my chilli chicken tacos with guacamole and corn salsa.
Upon return, I prepped the chicken marinade and popped it in the fridge then got to work on the guacamole and corn salsa. following that, I pulled together the tortilla dough and set it aside to rest before I got to work pressing it out in preparation for finishing off in the pan.
It wasn’t till I began cooking the tortillas that I realised they were all a little too thick which resulted in slightly doughy tortillas. So I experimented a little by rolling them out a little more with a rolling pin after pressing them. That seemed to work much better. Next time I might try a different dough recipe and also employ the press then pin system – it seems like a lot of work but yields the best results in the end.
The chilli chicken was shredded after cooking and it had a wonderful flavour with a good bite of heat. Together with the guac and salsa, which I have been making for a few years now to rave reviews, all the flavours of the tacos were bang on.
I just need to perfect the tortillas now – but hey, we can all be perfect first time, every time (can we?)!
CHILLI CHICKEN TACOS – COMPONENTS
CHILLI CHICKEN
4 Chicken thighs, in strips
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp Mexican chilli powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped
Place chicken in a bowl and lemon, 1 tbsp oil, chilli powder, garlic powder and dried chilli. Let marinate for at least 1 hour.
1/2 large red chilli, finely chopped
Handful coriander, finely chopped
1/4 Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
Splash of Cholula hot sauce
Salt & pepper
Remove the flesh from the avocado, place in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add chilli, onion, coriander and mix well. Add lime, hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
CORN SALSA
2 ears of sweet corn, husk on
1/2 avocado, flesh cut in squares
Handful coriander, finely chopped
1 tomato, deseeded and chopped finely
1/2 large red chilli, finely chopped
1/4 Spanish onion, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper
Place corn in the microwave with the husks on and cook on high allowing 3 minutes for each ear of corn (3 ears of corn = 9 minutes).
Remove corn from the microwave and leave to cool. Once cool, cut off cooked corn kernals and put in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, stirring till well combined.
FRESH TORTILLAS (recipe from Gourmet Traveller)
2 cups masa flour
250ml warm water
Salt
Place flour in a bowl with a pinch of salt, then add 250ml warm water. Mix together with your hands till it comes together in a soft pliable dough, adding more water or flour if necessary.
Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and rest for at least 20 minutes. Divid dough into 16 and roll each piece into a ball.
Line a tortilla press with two squared of baking paper, cut to fit. Working with one ball at a time, pres gently but firmly in press to form a thin disc, then set aside on paper.
Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat, peel baking paper from tortilla (be careful it’s fragile) and cook tortilla, turning twice, until browned. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Stack cooked tortillas in a basket lined with a tea towel as you go and rest to steam gently and soften slightly.
CHILLI CHICKEN TACOS – CONSTRUCTION
Chilli Chicken, shredded
guacamole
corn Salsa
sour cream
tortillas
coriander
Place one tortilla on a board, spread guacamole in a line in the middle. Add corn on top, then a little chicken mixture. Pop sour cream on top and another line of chilli chicken mixture and top with coriander.
Repeat and eat!
Yum. I am soooo getting a tortilla press. I need to add it to my holiday wish-list. Man, $50+ per person is A LOT for Mexican food. I don't blame you!
1) I need to start using more chicken thighs 2) a would LOVE a tortilla press. Have you tried making CHOCOLATE tortillas??? I've been seeing them more often! 3) That corn salsa looks flippin awesome.
I love your photography…so clean and crisp. You do an amazing job capturing images!!!
oh wow that tortilla press looks like fun and i love how fresh your tacos look!
You made your own tortillas – you are too awesome! Love how you've constructed the tacos. Looks absolutely deeeeeeeeelish!! I got given a tortilla warmer so really, I should try and make my own…
It's always fun eating out, but sometimes the value just isn't there. I have a tortilla press that I don't use enough – but homemade tortillas are so awesome! Tremendous flavor. I've been lucky (or maybe it's my tortilla recipe – I use one from Diane Kennedy) – but my tortillas are the correct thickness. Good recipe, fun post – thanks.
$50 is a lot… but I perhaps should have mentioned it also included a cocktail! However, Mexican restaurants are far more expensive here in Sydney than anywhere else.
Thanks Teri! I have not tried chocolate tortillas!!!!! Have you seen a good recipe? If so, send me the link… I can see I'm going to need to make these this weekend!
Thanks also for your very kind words about the photography… if you look back at my first few posts a year ago… you'll see a lot has changed! haha
Thanks Suze!
Thanks Tina! They tasted pretty good – I was happy with layering the chicken in twice as it made it extra flavoursome. You've got to try making them. You'll love it!
Thanks John. Have you got that recipe from Diane Kennedy handy? I'd like to try a different recipe next time and if you're happy to send it through, I'd love to give it a try!
This catering in Bristol had a menu like this and I've been dying to know how to do it for quite some time. Thanks a lot! This is awesome!
Hi, Don't know if it's too late to comment on your post, but i would just like to say that, I love tortillas and making my own, but too labor intensive for me anymore. I can't do the rolling out like I used to, but still like to make them. Tortilla chips, taco shells, and taco bowls for salads. Yum…..
Hello! Just wanted to say I have made these several times and they are so wonderful! Just wanted to ask if in the recipe you call for coriander and I’m wondering if you mean cilantro? Please let me know if I’m wrong! In the pics it looks as if you use cilantro but I don’t see it in the ingredients..
Hi Heather, Sorry to have confused you! In Australia, Cilantro IS coriander. So glad you like the recipe. 🙂
Excellent, I love the way you make this with chilli chicken. I am sure to make this. Looking forward for more such recipes.