This summer, I added some absolutely beautiful squid ink tortillas to my blog and everyone loved them… well, ALMOST everyone…
My first recipe for these gorgeous jet black tortillas were made as flour tortillas, but soon after I shared them, I received requests for a corn tortilla version and today, I am very proud to introduce you to my squid ink corn tortillas…
As I developed the recipes for these beautiful, jet black tortillas, I became quite obsessed with them. They are so beautiful and come together just as simply as any other flour or corn tortilla recipes do.
If you are looking for a stunning way to celebrate taco tuesday or a beautiful way to impress your friends at your next dinner party, then whip up a batch of these squid ink tortillas. You will be so glad that you did.
Let’s get them started…
Begin by gathering 1 3/4 cups of masa harina, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, about 1 1/2 cups of very warm water and 1 tablespoon of squid ink.
If you are unfamiliar with squid ink, don’t be nervous! It is not difficult to work with and adds only a subtly salty umami-like flavor. When you first open a jar of squid ink, you will smell a strong seafood scent, but it only takes 1 tablespoon of squid ink to create an entire batch of these beautifully black tortillas and this scent is highly diluted throughout the cooking process.
You can find squid ink for sale at some grocery stores, on amazon or by ordering directly from a manufacturer. I recommend Marky’s Squid Ink.
Start by whisking 1 3/4 cups of masa harina with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.
Start by adding 1 cup of very warm water and 1 tablespoon of squid ink into the masa and mix with a silicone spatula or stiff wooden spoon until it is fully combined. Add additional very warm water, a few tablespoons at a time, until you develop a soft, kneadable dough that will hold together easily when squeezed in your palm, but is not sticky.
This is the consistency that you are looking for. Knead the dough in the bowl for a minute or two to bring it all together. If the dough feels sticky, toss in a little bit more masa harina. If the dough feels too dry or crumbles when you squeeze it in your palm, add another tablespoon of water.
Once you are happy with the consistency of the dough, cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. This is when I place a flat griddle or wide skillet on my stovetop. When I have a few minutes of resting time left, I turn my stovetop to medium high and let the griddle get really warm.
Let’s talk about shaping your tortillas…
So, you have a few options. If you have a tortilla press, this is the easiest way. Simply fold a sheet of parchment paper in half or line both halves with plastic wrap and let the press do the rest of the work! If you are trying to decide on a tortilla press, I highly recommend Victoria Cookware’s cast iron tortilla press. Its heavy duty and I have loved mine for a long time now!
If you do not have a tortilla press, you can simply place the dough between two sheets of parchment or wax paper and roll it out using a rolling pin or even just a heavy skillet.
Once your dough has rested, use an ice cream scoop, cookie dough scoop or big spoon to grab equal amounts of dough, so your tortillas are evenly sized. I gather about 2 tablespoons of dough to create 6 inch taco sized tortillas. You can grab smaller amounts if you’d like to make smaller street taco sized tortillas or larger amounts to create burrito sized tortillas.
Once you grab a portion of dough, re-cover the bowl to keep it soft and prevent it from drying out while you shape and cook that tortilla.
Once your griddle is very warm and your first tortilla has been shaped, place the tortilla on the dry, preheated skillet and cook it for about 60 seconds on the first side. Flip the skillet over and cook it on the other side for 30-60 seconds or until both sides feel dry and smooth to a careful touch.
Once each tortilla is cooked, stack them on top of each other and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. This will help the tortillas to stay warm and gradually soften as they steam together, while you cook the remaining tortillas.
Once all of the tortillas are cooked, I like to start by using the tortillas at the bottom of the stack. These tortillas will be the softest and most pliable… just perfect for filling with something delicious…
Now that the tortillas are all cooked, let’s take a moment to talk about how beautiful they are. That bold inky black color is everything! Most of them will have a shiny side and a more matte finished side (depending on which side was cooked first) and I can’t decide which side I like better. They are both simply fabulous…
When it comes to fillings, anything goes! I love something bold in color and flavor, like this chicken tinga or some barbecue shrimp. Start with a little whipped avocado cream and then finish with some cilantro lime slaw and you will have some incredibly delicious and really quite gorgeous tacos.
And I bet you never thought you would describe a taco as gorgeous…
Squid Ink Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups of masa harina
- 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups of water, very warm
- 1 tablespoon of squid ink
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Combine masa harina and salt in a large bowl
- Add 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of squid ink and mix using a stiff wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Add additional tablespoons of water until a soft, kneadable consistency is achieved
- Knead in the bowl for several minutes
- Add additional masa is the dough is too wet or sticks to your hands and add additional water if the dough is too dry or won’t fully incorporate
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel and rest for 15 minutes
- Divide the dough into golfball sized portions (approximately 2 tablespoons) and roll into round balls (keep dough covered with a damp paper towel while you work with one portion to prevent the dough from drying out)
- Press each tortilla between sheets of plastic or parchment paper in a tortilla press or using a rolling pin
- Preheat a flat griddle or wide skillet over medium high heat
- Once hot, cook each tortilla for 45-60 seconds per side
- Transfer cooked tortillas onto a plate wrapped with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm as you cook the other tortillas
- Repeat this process until all of the tortillas have been cooked
