Chucho thinks I should name my kid Tortilla. I have my doubts about that despite my deep appreciation for tortillas. Tortillas can really make or break a meal, and in NYC, it’s unfortunately often the latter. I recently read an article about Tortilleria Nixtamal and I have high hopes that it will up the standards for tortillas in NYC. In the mean time, tortilla soup satisfies my craving without requiring top notch tortillas. It’s based on a Wolfgang Puck recipe (Qué verguenza!) but it really does the trick.
1. Steam two ears of the freshest most flavor packed corn you can find. Remove the kernels and save the cobs.
2. In a food processor, blend a few jalapenos, one small onion, 4-6 garlic cloves and the corn.
3. Cut up a couple of tortillas and sauté in vegetable oil in a big soup pot until brown and crispy. Add the veggie mixture and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add two large chopped and seeded tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2-3 teaspoons of cumin. Cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add 6-8 cups of good stock and the corn cobs and simmer until soup reduces a bit and flavors mix. Add salt to taste.
6. Puree.
7. For garnish, service with chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, baked tortilla strips, pulled chicken, avocado, etc.
Eat it. Enjoy it. But don’t name your kid after it.
I want to try this recipe, as the one in my Mex cookbook at home kinda sucks.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'll take you to Nixtamal! You can find their tortillas at a few other taquerias in the city now, but the original is best.
Tortilla Clyde Meinke...3 great things that go great together!
ReplyDeleteI made this soup on a blustery, wet August day (I love summer in Northern Europe), and it was delicious. I can't vouch for my judgment at this point, since I live in a land of no authentic Mexican food and there are no jalapenos to be found so I had to use the generic green pepper at the Asian market, but it really hit the spot.
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