Blue Corn Tortillas served with chipotle honey butter, black beans, grilled corn, avocado, pico de gallo, and cotija cheese

This was inspired by the wonderful tortillas we had at Graham’s Grille in Taos (shown at right). We tried them with blue corn meal to dress them up a little. Theirs were definitely better (than our first attempt anyway, but we’ll keep trying).  By the way, Graham’s Grille was generally great, and they made the best posole I’ve ever had.

This tortilla preparation makes a great appetizer.  So simple, just tortillas with extremely uncomplicated accoutrements (beans, crumbled cheese, corn, and onion) and the chipotle honey butter brings it all together and provides an element of surprise.  You might think that it’s too simple, but when you taste it, you’ll be amazed how sophisticated and complete it is.  On the other hand, you might think this recipe looks too complicated.  Don’t worry, I just talk too much and these instructions give a lot of detail.  There are just some very simple steps with single ingredients.  And simplify them as much as you want. For example, if you don’t want to grill the corn, that’s ok, you can even substitute frozen corn and just thaw it and serve!  The pico de gallo is entirely optional (the Graham’s Grille version didn’t use it at all

The recipe here reflects the way we made them, with a mix of regular masa harina (which you should be able to find in any grocery store) and blue corn meal (which is harder to find—look in a gourmet grocery or Hispanic grocery).  I’d love to make them with masa harina from blue corn, which I’ve never seen anywhere except the internet.  Someday I’ll order a 5-lb. bag and we’ll make blue tortillas and blue tamales…  For the most part, I’m guessing the difference between masa harina made with white or yellow corn and masa harina made with blue corn is mostly aesthetic, but I’ve read that blue corn masa makes a denser tortilla.  Regardless, aethetics counts in cooking, and this is an appetizer meant to be pretty.

One other note.  We’ve used it less than 10 times, but we love having a tortilla press.  They’re cheap, and  nothing does the job better.  If you are thinking of making tortillas (and you should), go out and buy yourself a tortilla press.  Depending on where you live, you might even be able to find one in your grocery store’s kitchen goods aisle. In Vegas, you can find them at places like Cost Plus World Market as well as kitchen stores.

SERVES 4, with three tortillas each and, probably some leftover chipotle honey butter and pico de gallo.

BLUE CORN TORTILLAS 1 cup masa harina 1 cup harina de maiz azul (blue cornmeal) ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons warm water CHIPOTLE HONEY BUTTER  1 stick butter, softened 3 tablespoons honey 2 canned chipotle chiles, finely chopped 1½ tablespoons adobo sauce from the canned chipotles

PICO DE GALLO 1 lb. plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped  ½ cup chopped onion ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro  2 tablespoons fresh lime juice  1 large seeded minced jalapeño (about 2 tbsp.) 1 garlic clove, minced GARNISH  1 avocado, diced or sliced 1 ear of corn, husked ½ cup cotija cheese crumbed salad greens, if desired

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the chipotle honey butter:  in a small bowl, mix all ingredients with a fork.  Set aside.  (Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a week or so.)

Prepare the pico de gallo: Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Grill the corn: Place the corn on an outdoor grill or a grill pan over high heat and char lightly on all sides. Cool slightly, cut the kernels from the cob, and set aside..

Prepare the tortillas: Mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon in a bowl until dough is formed, about 2 minutes. Let stand, covered tightly with plastic wrap, for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 parts. Roll each part into a ball (it should be about the size of a golfball), keeping the balls you are not using in a plastic bag so that they don't dry out. (If the dough does get too dry, add a little extra water.)

If using a tortilla press, place a ball on top of a sheet of plastic wrap and put another sheet on top of it.  Press out the tortilla.  If you don’t have a tortilla press, place a ball on a sheet of plastic wrap and cover it with another sheet. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, then finish rolling with a rolling pin, working quickly and lightly. Flip the package over and repeat until an approximately 6-inch circle is formed.

Peel away the top layer of plastic wrap, flip the package over gently, and peel away the other piece of plastic wrap. If you want to be obsessive (you don’t have to do it!), cut out a perfectly round tortilla with a sharp knife.

Carefully transfer the tortilla to a flat, hot griddle or large, dry cast iron skillet. Bake on the first side for about 30 seconds. Flip over and bake on the second side for about 30 seconds. Flip once again. Press down on the tortilla firmly with a folded dish towel and quickly lift it away again. This will cause the tortilla to puff. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.  Serve as soon as possible.

ASSEMBLY

Arrange the tortillas on a plate with the beans, corn, and avocado piled to one side.  Sprinkle the cotija cheese around the plate. Put a couple tablespoons of the butter in a small cup or make a quenelle or it and set it on a plate.