Ingredients :
For the Gorditas
2 cups masa harina
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups warm water
corn oil, for frying
For the Stuffing2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms (crimini, shitake, oyster), roughly chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh epazote, chopped (you can use dry epazote, or you can substitute thyme)
1 pound Oaxacan cheese, shredded (you may substitute Mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste
For the "Drunken" Salsa
6 ancho chiles, re-hydrated, seeded and deveined
3 plum tomatoes, roasted, peeled and seeded
½ cup tequila
1 ½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
½ yellow onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Special Equipment
food processor or blender
frying pot
slotted spoon
comal or cast-iron skillet
Instructions:
For the Gorditas
Mix flours, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Add the warm water. Combine thoroughly to make a smooth dough. Roll the dough into balls the size of a walnut, a few at a time. Set aside and keep covered. One at a time, roll each ball of dough in moistened palm of your hand until smooth, lay on a piece of plastic wrap, cover with another piece of plastic wrap and press down to flatten. To shape the patty, cut with a 2 to 2 ¼-inch diameter cookie cutter. It should be about 1/8 inch thick. Smooth the rough edges with your finger to make it ready to fry. Pan fry the gorditas until golden on both sides before dropping into the corn oil.
Heat a cast iron skillet, filled half way with corn oil, to 375° F. Slide the patties into hot oil and fry until they are light golden brown and crispy, about 1 minute on each side. Drain on paper towels.
For the Mushroom Stuffing
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Slowly cook the onion and garlic until tender, but still translucent. Add the chopped mushrooms and epazote. Cook until the mushrooms are cooked through, about 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
For the Salsa
Re-hydrate the chiles in warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, remove seeds and stems. Roast tomatoes on a sheet pan in the oven set at 450° F. Cook until charred, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Peel, then seed the tomatoes. Place chilis, tomatoes, and all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve at room temperature.
To Serve
As soon as the gorditas are cool enough to handle, make a slit on the side and insert about a teaspoon of shredded cheese and an equal amount of the mushroom mixture. Serve with salsa.
Optional garnishes: Avocado slices, cilantro leaves, sliced scallions, radish slices
