"cathyxyz" > wrote in
ups.com:


>
> Firstly, thanks for the idea, Michael! We made chicken fajitas last
> night and they were very good... Thing is, we used the store-bought
> tortillas, which weren't bad - but living in this part of the world, we
> don't see them that often as not many stores stock them.
>
> So.... thinking of making them ourselves. I found a few simple looking
> recipes when googling - but my question is this: does one need a
> "tortilla press" or will our trusty old rolling pin do? - any
> suggestions?

I have made them once, and the recipe I used just called for a rolling
pin. Worked fine. The recipe was from The Complete Mexican Cookbook by
Lourdes Nichols.

Tortillas de Harina

500g plain white or wholemeal flour
1 tbsp salt
75g lard, cubed (I didn't have any lard, and wasn't going out to buy it
so used butter - they tasted fine to me, but I'm sure would be more
authentic with lard)
300ml hot water

Put the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, add the fat and rub in till
mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in hot water to make a soft, warm,
pliable dough.
Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead until no longer sticky.
Cover with a warm, damp tea towel.
Shape about 50g dough into a ball the size of a plum, then flatten it.
Place on a floured board and with a floured rolling pin roll it out until
it is thin enough to see the board through the pastry (this took quite a
bit of rolling <g>)
In the book the author says not to worry about whether the tortillas are
perfectly round, as you can trim them by cutting round a plate.
Put the tortillas on a floured tray when rolled, making sure there is
enough flour on them to stop them sticking together. Don't stack more
than two high when raw.

Heat a dry griddle or heavy based frying pan until a few drops of water
sizzle on it, then reduce heat to moderate. Pick up a tortilla and place
carefully on hot griddle. Leave it for about 30 seconds; as it cooks it
will thicken a little. When it starts to bubble, turn it over and cook
for a further 10 seconds. At this stage the tortilla will have lost its
transparency, but will still look very pale. This does not matter, as it
will cook a little more when you warm it up. If you overcook it, it will
become dry and brittle and will not be supple enough to fold. Stack the
tortillas on a wire rack, wrapped in a clean tea-towel.

When all tortillas are cooked and cool, place a square of waxed paper
between each one to prevent them from sticking together. Store in a
sealed polythene bag.

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia