Sopes

Ingredients

• 10½ ozmasa harinafor the dough, e.g. Maseca
• 1⅔ cupswaterwarm, for the dough; add more as needed
• 1 tspsaltfor the dough
• ¾ cupvegetable oilfor frying or shallow frying, e.g. corn oil
• 14⅛ ozrefried beansfrom pinto or black beans, warmed
• 3½ ozcheeseor panela or feta, crumbled or grated
• 3½ ozlettucefinely shredded, e.g. romaine
• salsared or green, for topping
• 1onionwhite or red, finely diced
• ½ cupsour creamfor drizzling (optional)
• 7 ozchickencooked and shredded; alternatively beef or pork (optional)
• 2tomatoesdiced (optional)
• 1avocadoripe, diced or sliced (optional)
• jalapeñoin strips or pickled (optional)
• 1 bunchcilantrofreshly chopped (optional)
• 1¾ ozlardin the dough or in the beans (optional)
• 1limefor squeezing over when serving (optional)

Method

1. Knead the masa doughIn a bowl, mix the masa harina with the salt, then pour in the warm water a little at a time and knead everything into a smooth, pliable dough. If it feels dry and cracks, add a splash more water; if it sticks to your fingers, work in a bit more masa harina. If you like, knead in some lard at this point.
2. Divide into ballsDivide the dough into 12 to 16 even balls and keep them under a damp kitchen towel so they don't dry out.
3. Press the balls flatPress each ball between two sheets of plastic, using a tortilla press or the bottom of a plate, until it's about 5 to 7 mm thick.
4. Cook the discs on the comalGet a comal or heavy skillet good and hot, with no oil, and cook the discs for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. They should pick up a little color but stay soft inside.
5. Pinch up the rimsLet the discs cool just until you can handle them, then, while they're still warm, pinch up a rim all the way around with your fingers to make little cups.
6. Fry the sopes until crispHeat the vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the sopes until golden and crisp. Drain them on paper towels.
7. Warm the refried beansMeanwhile, warm the refried beans in a small pot, stirring in a little lard for extra flavor if you like.
8. Spread and add toppingsSpread the sopes with the warm beans and load them up: shredded chicken if you're using it, then finely shredded lettuce, diced onion, tomatoes and avocado, a drizzle of crema, crumbled queso fresco and salsa. For more heat, add jalapeños and scatter chopped cilantro over the top.
9. Serve right awayServe right away while the bases are still crisp, with lime wedges for squeezing over, and eat them with your hands.

Tips and variations

There's more than one way to make a sope. One version shapes the rim on the raw dough and fries the sopes straight away, skipping the comal entirely. Another presses a well into the center of each sope with a spoon just before frying, which keeps the base from puffing up in the hot oil. For a lighter take, cook the sopes on the comal only and crisp them in a little oil at most. You can also bake them at about 200 °C for 5 minutes instead of frying them. Spiced pork (chilorio) or ground beef take the place of the chicken nicely. Homemade beans are easy too: simmer black beans with onion, garlic, chipotle in adobo, cumin and broth, then purée them. Serving tip: set out the bases, beans and all the toppings in little bowls and let everyone build their own sopes, fresh and crisp.