Mexican: Tlayudas with Chapulines

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 3)

Affectionately nicknamed “Oaxacan pizza,” a tlayuda is a large tortilla topped with refried beans, cheese, and other goodies of your choice. In Oaxaca, you’ll find tlayudas for sale at street vendors until late at night with each vendor offering their special combination of toppings. Like pizzas, homemade tlayudas can be customized with your favorite proteins, or be completely vegetarian. My favorite version uses fried seasoned grasshoppers, another Oaxacan specialty. In Oaxaca, corn tortillas as large as a foot in diameter are used. Unfortunately, only flour tortillas for burritos are available at that size In the States. This recipe makes use of 10-inch flour tortillas (which is a nice serving for one person), and will yield three servings. You can serve your tlayudas folded like a quesadilla, or open-faced like a pizza which can then be folded and cut by the guest.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet peppers (red and yellow preferred), de-seeded and sliced
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 white onions, sliced
• 1 can black beans (14 oz, including liquid)
• 12 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 2 large “burrito” tortillas (10-inch) (Mission brand whole wheat preferred)
• 1½ cup shredded cabbage
• 2 oz chapulines
• 12 oz Oaxaca cheese, pulled into strings (or sub quesillo, queso fresco, or mozzarella sticks)
• 1 cup pico de gallo (see master recipe)

Optional toppings:

• Sour cream (Crema Mexicana preferred)
• Avocado slices
• Zucchini flowers (for garnish)

Optional sides:

• Lime wedges
• Salsa rojo (Fronterra preferred)
• Salsa verde (Fronterra preferred)
• Mexican hot sauce (i.e. Cholula)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, dry roast sweet peppers over high heat until soft (about 5 minutes, toss often); remove and set aside
3. Add onions and 3 tablespoons olive oil, saute until caramelized (about 10 minutes); remove and set aside
4. Add garlic and more olive oil, saute briefly (about 1 minute), then add the beans, bean liquid, cumin, salt and pepper; stir and heat for about 5 minutes over low heat
5. Remove from heat, mash the beans right in the skillet with a spatula; set aside
6. Place 3 tortillas on pizza stones, pizza pans or baking sheets, then spread ⅓ of the refried black beans on each tortilla
7. Spread caramelized onions and cabbage equally on each tortilla, bake in oven until cabbage is wilted (about 5 minutes)
8. Remove from oven, cover each tortilla with equal amounts of chapuline, and cheese; bake until cheese is melted and the tortillas are slightly brown on the edges (about another 5 minutes)
9. Remove from oven, add pico de gallo, avocado slices, sour cream, and zucchini flowers (if desired)
10. Serve flat with a knife and optional sides (or fold in half and slice into 3 triangles like a folded pizza)

Note: In Oaxaca, tlayudas are not baked, but grilled. Instead of baking the tlayouda, you can also use a skillet. First, toast the tortilla until slightly crispy on one side, then flip the tortilla before adding toppings. After folding the tortilla, continue toasting each side until cheese inside is melted (flip at least once after folding).