Everyone loves these crispy-crunchy cylinders of delight that get splashed with spicy salsa, drizzled with crema, dusted with punchy cheese and strewn with crunchy fresh garnishes. Not much else to say, except that you can fill them with pretty much anything that can be mashed or shredded, though the most common is chicken or potato (I actually like a combination of the two).
To ensure maximum crispness, these need to be made with thin, dryish tortillas–the kind that make the crispiest chips. When made with large tortillas and tightly rolled, they typically go by flautas (flutes).
A note about technique: The first frying of the tortilla is to soften it for easy rolling without breaking. Contrary to what you might think, it doesn’t make the tacos greasy in the least. That step may be omitted if you are working with just-made tortillas that are completely flexible.
For salsas, I highly recommend Avocado Tomatillo Salsa or Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken, beef or pork OR 1 ½ cups coarsely mashed, seasoned potato or beans OR 1 ½ cups ricotta (like the dryish, hand-scooped kind)
- Salt
- Vegetable oil (preferably one designated for high heat use) to a depth of about ½ inch for frying
- 12 corn tortillas (the thinner the better—look for ones that make great chips)
- About 3/4 cup Mexican crema, crème fraiche or sour cream thinned with a little milk or cream
- About 1 cup salsa (see note above for recipes)
- About 2 cups sliced (¼ inch) hearts of romaine or iceberg lettuce
- A few tablespoons (loosely packed) chopped cilantro
- A sliced radish or two
- Several tablespoons crumbled or grated Mexican queso fresco or queso añejo or other garnishing cheese like feta, goat cheese, Romano or Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the tacos. Scoop the filling into a bowl and season generously with salt. Feel free to add other seasonings if you wish–crumbled Mexican oregano, chopped cilantro, chopped hot green chile are good options. In a large (10-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium until hot enough to make the edge of a tortilla sizzle sharply, about 350 deegrees. With tongs, pick up 3 tortillas at a time, slide them into the hot oil, wait a few seconds for them to sizzle sharply, then quickly remove, drain on paper towels and pat dry. When the tortillas are just cool enough to handle, roll about 2 tablespoons of filling tightly into each one, laying them seam-side down once they are rolled. On about 3-inch wooden picks, skewer 3 taquitos together, making sure that the flaps are held in place on the inside. Separate them a bit so all sides are exposed to oil.
Fry the tacos. Reheat the oil until it's hot enough to make the edge of a taco sizzle sharply, about 360 to 370 degrees, fry the skewered tacos in two batches, flipping after 1 ½ to 2 minutes, when the undersides are crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Serve. Line up the tacos on a platter. Drizzle them with the crema, then the salsa. Top with the lettuce, then strew with chopped cilantro, sliced radish and crumbled cheese.
