Papadzules Recipes

PAPADZULES (ROLLED TORTILLAS WITH PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE)

Steps:

• Place 3 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the tomatoes. Let simmer until tomatoes are soft, about 8 minutes.
• Drain the tomatoes and reserve the water in which they cooked.
• When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skins. Carefully scoop out the seeds and squeeze them to extract the juice. Discard the seeds. Add the juice to the tomato pulp, and mash or blend to make a purée. Set this aside.
• Meanwhile, place the chiles on a piece of aluminum foil and broil under a flame, turning frequently, until they are lightly toasted all over.
• Heat the lard and add the chopped onion. Cook slowly, stirring, until onion is translucent. Add the tomato mixture, the sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and toasted chiles. Do not split open the chiles, as the seeds add heat. Simmer the mixture over low heat for about 15 minutes. Set the sauce aside.
• Add the epazote, if available, to the water in which the tomatoes cooked. Simmer 3 minutes and set aside. Let it cool slightly.
• Place the pepitas in a skillet and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until they are lightly toasted. Do not let them burn (the seeds pop explosively as they cook). Set the pepitas aside to cool.
• Grind the pepitas until fine - the finer the better - or blend them (see note). Place them in a shallow dish and add a little of the warm epazote water, stirring with fingers to make a stiff paste. Continue kneading and squeezing the mixture with your fingers while adding about 1/4 cup of the warm liquid, until the paste becomes shiny and a dark color. Continue working and squeezing the paste between your fingers, and you will note that drops of oil accumulate from the paste. Once this state is reached, the oil accumulates quickly. If you tip the plate, the oil can be scooped out. About 2 tablespoons of the green oil should be separated from the paste and set aside.
• Slowly stir the remaining epazote liquid into the paste with a wooden spoon. Stir constantly until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste. At this point the sauce may be warmed over very low heat, but it is important that papadzules are served lukewarm.
• To assemble the dish, dip the tortillas, one at a time, into the pumpkin seed sauce. Spoon chopped egg down the center of each tortilla as each is prepared. Roll the tortillas loosely and arrange the rolls side by side in a serving dish. Pour the remaining pumpkin seed sauce over all. Spoon the tomato sauce across the center of the dish, and sprinkle the 2 tablespoons green oil over the top. Serve lukewarm.

PAPADZULES (EGGS AND ASPARAGUS IN TORTILLAS WITH PEPITA SAUCE)

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the water. Cook, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle boil, for 6½ minutes for jammy eggs with a soft and runny yolk (or longer for medium- or hard-boiled eggs). Transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice water and chill until just slightly warm, about 2 minutes. (Keep the water boiling.) Gently crack the eggs all over and peel, starting from the wider end, which contains the air pocket. That gap between egg and shell makes peeling easier. Cut the eggs into quarters. Set 8 quarters aside for serving.
• Add the asparagus to the same pot of boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, transfer to a medium bowl and let sit until ready to assemble.
• Heat a tortilla in a small skillet over medium heat, turning once, until warm, about 1 minute. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel or foil. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, stacking and wrapping them in the towel.
• Reserve ¼ cup pepitas and ¼ cup scallions for garnish. Combine remaining pepitas, remaining scallions, the garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, 3 cups water and salt (1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal) in the jar of a blender. Purée until smooth and the consistency of heavy cream. Taste and season with salt and lime juice if necessary. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Working one at a time and using tongs, dip a tortilla into the purée, turning to completely coat in sauce. Transfer to a baking sheet as you go.
• Arrange 4 egg quarters and a few pieces of asparagus down the center of each tortilla. Fold one side over, then roll up the tortilla. Place seam-side down on a plate. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, dividing among plates and spooning the remaining pepita purée over. Top with the reserved pepitas, scallions, egg quarters and any remaining asparagus.

PAPADZULES : MAYAN EGG ENCHILADAS WITH PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• For the chiltomate:.
• ***Note: to roast the tomatoes, place them on a dry, hot griddle or skillet over med-low heat. Turn frequently until all the skin has blackened and blistered. Remove them from heat and let them cool a few minutes, then peel.
• In a blender, combine the roasted tomatoes, Habanero. Pass this mixture through a strainer onto a bowl to discard the seeds.
• Heat the corn oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook until limp. Add the strained tomato-Habanero puree and salt and pepper to taste. Boil for 10 minutes over low heat, or until the chiltomate has thickened. Keep warm.
• For the papadzules:.
• Bring the water, salt and epazote to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, grind the pumpkin seeds in a food processor.
• Add the epazote and the warm cooking liquid to the pumpkin seeds in the food processor and puree, making a thick, creamy sauce. Pour into a shallow bowl. Next to the bowl, place a plate and then a serving platter. Have the chopped eggs close by.
• To assemble:.
• Dip the tortillas, one by one into the pumpkin sauce, covering them completely. One by one, place a tortilla on the next plate, fill with chopped eggs and roll like and enchilada. Place on serving platter. Pour any remaining pumpkin sauce evenly over the papadzules.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied with the chiltomate.

PAPADZULES

Steps:

• Have ready a warmed, not hot, serving dish or warmed individual dishes.
• Put the water, epazote, and salt into a small pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Spread the pumpkin seeds in a thin layer over the bottom of a large skillet and heat through gently over low heat, turning them over from time to time. The seeds will swell, but take care not to let them become even slightly golden or the sauce will lose its fresh green color. You might want to keep a lid handy because often some of the seeds will start jumping out of the pan. Spread the seeds onto a metal tray to cool completely before grinding to avoid the blades seizing up with the volatile oil.
• Using an electric coffee/spice grinder, grind a portion of the seeds at a time to a slightly textured consistency, 5 to 6 seconds. If the seeds are ground too fine, then it will be more difficult to extract the oil.
• Have a small glass bowl ready for the oil.
• Put the ground seeds onto a plate that has a slight ridge around the rim. Measure out 1/4 cup (63ml) of the epazote broth and little by little sprinkle it - don't, for goodness' sake, pour the whole lot - over the seeds and work it with your hands, first having put the telephone on automatic answering. Gradually add the liquid until you have a crumbly but cohesive paste.
• Tilt the plate a little to one side and put a folded cloth underneath to hold it in that position. Start squeezing the paste and you will see that drops of oil will begin to extrude. Add a little more warm liquid if necessary - you probably won't need the whole amount - and keep squeezing until you have collected almost 4 tablespoons of dark green oil. (This is pure vitamin E, and great for the hands.) Crumble the paste into a blender jar, add the remaining strained epazote broth, if desired, and blend until smooth.
• Transfer the sauce to a skillet and warm through over the lowest possible heat, stirring almost constantly because the starch content of the seeds begins to swell and the particles tend to coagulate in the bottom of the pan.
• Dip one of the warm tortillas into the sauce: it should be lightly covered. If the sauce is too thick, dilute it with a little extra warm water. Work as quickly as you can, dipping each tortilla into the sauce, holding it with tongs but supporting it with a spatula so you don't get left with a bit of broken tortilla in your tongs. Sprinkle some of the chopped egg across one-third of the tortilla, roll it up, and place it on the warmed dish.
• When all the papadzules are assembled, pour the remaining sauce over them. (If the sauce has thickened and become grainy looking, put it back into the blender with a little extra warm water and blend until smooth.) Now pour on the tomato sauce and sprinkle the chopped egg whites and yolks. Decorate with the optional epazote. As a final touch, spoon in little pools of the oil. Serve immediately or the oil will sink back into the sauce and all that work will have been for naught! Of course, it is more colorful and attractive to serve the papadzules together on one serving dish.