We’re talking/daydreaming about going to DC in the fall to visit family, and as part of my daydreaming I hit the Menu Pages website to see what the area restaurants had to offer. I came across a Mexican restaurant that sounded appealing. As I read through their menu, I saw flautas listed and it occurred to me that I hadn’t made those in years. That omission was quickly rectified later in the evening. But, I upped the ante by making homemade flour tortillas as a base.
This is one of those recipes that can be completely suited to your specific tastes. If you don’t like cilantro omit it. If you like food to be incredibly spicy use a hotter pepper than a jalapeno. And if you don’t want to make homemade tortillas, use store bought.
However, the difference between store-bought vs. homemade tortillas in this dish is pretty huge. It’s really worth it to make them yourself because they are softer than what you get in a package. And when their soft texture gets fried? It’s practically a religious experience. I also made a cilantro lime sauce to serve with them, which is completely delicious. I made an extra batch just to snack on with the tortillas.
Homemade Flour Tortillas
- 2 cups of white flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup warm water
Combine the water and oil in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Add the water to the flour one tablespoon at a time.
Once all of the liquid has been incorporated into the flour, the dough should come together into a ball. If it doesn’t, add a tablespoon of water (again) to get the ball to form. Knead the ball of dough for 5 minutes on a well floured surface. Add more flour when the dough gets sticky. When the dough becomes smooth, put the ball in a bowl and put a damp cloth over the bowl. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
Separate the dough into 9 evenly-sized pieces and shape them like golf balls. Place a damp cloth over the balls of dough so they don’t dry out before you have a chance to roll them out. Then roll each ball of dough out on a lightly floured surface, until they are about 6 inches in diameter. Preheat a large frying pan and place the tortillas in one at a time and pan fry for about one minute per side until bubbles form and they have color. Once the tortillas are all cooked, let them cool for a couple of minutes and store in a large resealable plastic bag.
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- ½ cup of Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons of lime juice
- ¼ cup of chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon of salt.
Mix and refrigerate for at least ½ an hour to let the flavors meld.
Flautas
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 cup of cooked chicken
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- 1 small jalapeno, diced
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 cup of salsa (I made a batch of pico de gallo and blended it in the food processor.)
- ½ cup of cilantro
- 1 cup of monterey jack cheese
- 6 flour tortillas
- Vegetable oil, canola oil or olive oil for frying
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
In a small frying pan combine the onion, lime juice, olive oil, diced jalapeno, chicken, salt and pepper and cumin. When the onion is soft and the chicken is heated through, remove from heat and let cool. After 5 minutes add the cheese, salsa and cilantro to the pan. Mix well. Lay out the tortillas and spoon about a ¼ cup of the filling across the narrowest part of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and secure with a wooden toothpick.
Preheat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a large frying pan. Gently drop 2 flautas into the oil and let brown for about 30 seconds each side. Keep them warm in the oven while you fry the other flautas. Serve with the cilantro lime sauce.
Makes 6 flautas.
(Photos by Launie K.)
