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 Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | May 2005 
Tortitas: Any-Flavor Fritter Favorites
 Vicky Cowal - The Herald Mexico
| The sound of tortilla making is called "the heartbeat of Mexico."
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My husband's Polish aunt, a great Old World cook, gave me a wonderful and longlasting wedding present: two week's worth of cooking classes at her house under her stern guidance. As she got older she became almost a pussy cat, but in those early days she cracked the whip and we all obeyed. I may have been nervous under her tutelage, but I sure learned to cook some outstanding dishes.
My family still enjoys many of her recipes and the one that is the all-time favorite is potato pancakes. They are a very simple dish to make and there are few tricks to getting them to turn out right only those she taught me all those years ago and which still apply. Never, ever purée the potatoes in a blender as so many cooks do these days, but always, always grate them on the coarse side of a grater or, a modern touch, in a food processor. Then you must get all the liquid out of the grated potatoes. And, so important, you want them thin and crisp.
Now what struck me is that Mexican cuisine also has many kinds of similar pancakes and they are really good, especially at this time of the year when it's hot and you don't want to spend much time over a hot stove. They cook quickly and with a soup (preferably cold) and salad, you have a simple but complete meal. And the price is right. It also makes a perfect vegetarian meal if you substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock in the soup.
In Mexico these pancakes are called tortas or tortitas. But also bear in mind that the word torta has other meanings. There are tortas that are large, layered hardroll sandwiches which are fantastic combinations of beans, chiles, cheese, onions, tomatoes, avocado, meat or poultry. There is a torta de elote that is a bit like sweet cornbread and there are tortas that are tortes or sweet cakes as in torta imperial, a delicious ground almond cake.
The tortas/tortitas I am referring to are mostly vegetarian potato, corn, cauliflower, zucchini, carrot but they are also made with fish and chicken. Some are flat pancakes and others are puffier and more like fritters when the batter is mixed with beaten egg whites. Tortas can be served on their own, preferably with a side salsa, or in a broth. Any way they are prepared they are a treat.
POLISH POTATO PANCAKES
Here is Aunt Thea's original recipe for potato pancakes. I have substituted a mixture of olive oil with a little butter for the vegetables oil she used (once upon a time she probably used lard) because I prefer the taste and the pancakes get really crisp. We eat our pancakes spread with butter but many like them with sour cream or applesauce.
2 large potatoes, peeled, grated and drained of all liquid.
2 large eggs, lightly beaten.
2 tablespoons flour.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Olive oil and butter for frying.
Peel and grate the potatoes on the coarse side of a grater or in a food processor. Put the grated potatoes in a medium-size bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Then drain in a strainer, pushing down on the potatoes with a large spoon and shaking the strainer to make sure all the liquid is out. Mix the potatoes with the eggs and flour. Season to taste. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and drop spoonfuls of the batter in it. Spread them out very thin and fry until golden. Turn and fry on the other side. Serve with softened butter, sour cream or applesauce.
TORTAS DE CALABACITAS
4 small zucchini.
2 eggs, separated.
1/2 cup milk.
1/2 cup flour.
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Butter and olive oil for frying.
Grate the zucchini on the coarse side of a grater. Separate the eggs and beat the whites until quite stiff. Add the milk to the egg yolks and beat well, adding the flour to get a thickish batter (a little thicker than pancake batter). Add the scallions, zucchini, salt and pepper. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy skillet. Drop the batter by small or large spoonfuls onto the skillet and fry the fritters until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. You can make large or small fritters.
SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN CAKES
1 large sweet potato.
2 eggs.
1/2 cup flour.
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions.
1/2 cup cooked black beans.
1 small seeded and diced serrano chile or 1 small seeded and diced chipotle en adobo.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Grate the sweet potato over a medium-size bowl on the coarse side of a grater. Beat the eggs and add to the potatoes. Stir in the flour and mix well. Add the scallions, beans and chile and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat and drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the skillet. Spread out and cook until nicely browned on both sides.
TORTITAS DE ELOTE
1 1/4 cups flour.
1 teaspoon baking powder.
Salt.
2 eggs.
1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels.
1/2 cup grated Manchego or Chihuahua cheese.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the eggs and beat together well. Add the corn and cheese and form into small cakes. Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat and fry until golden on both sides.
ORANGE, PECAN & RED LEAF LETTUCE SALAD
1 large orange, peeled, pitted and sectioned.
1 large head red leaf lettuce.
1/2 bunch watercress.
1/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans.
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves.
Garnish: amaranth seeds (optional).
CITRUS VINAIGRETTE
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice.
1 tablespoon lime juice.
1 teaspoon each grated lime and orange rind.
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1/2 tablespoon honey.
2 tablespoons olive oil.
In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss well. Garnish, if desired, with amaranth seeds. Makes 4 servings.
VickyCowal@prodigy.net.mx |
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