When traveling in Mexico or dining out closer to home, I seek out antojitos – those little whims of street snacks and appetizers. My favorites include flavor-packed, handheld chalupas and sopes made from corn masa dough that has been transformed into crispy, crusty golden containers. They are perfect for Cinco de Mayo, which falls on the first Wednesday in May this year, but equally delicious any day of the year.
After a year of pandemic yeast dough and quick bread projects, it’s a pleasure to work with corn masa dough – it’s super simple and forgiving. This flavorful, gluten-free dough is used in the Mexican kitchen for everything from corn tortillas to quesadillas, tamales, dumplings and – of course – shallow rounds for sopes and chalupas that resemble small canoes.
If you live near a tortilleria, by all means purchase freshly made masa dough for the snacks. Most of us will have access to powdered corn masa in a Mexican market or large grocery store. It’s super simple to reconstitute the powdered masa with hot water for tortillas. For the recipes below, a bit of oil, salt and baking powder yields a tender result.
Once you have your corn masa dough ready, it’s time to make your fillings, though the number of fillings will depend on your available time and the number of guests you’re serving. I have three suggestions to get you started. The first – begin with firm tofu, which stands in for a less rich, albeit not very authentic, protein for picadillo; ground turkey or pork are other options. Potato, poblano and chorizo is another Pueblan-inspired filling, while shredded chicken with chipotle and avocado brings me back to Oaxaca.
Serve the sopes or chalupas with a generous spoonful of slightly warmed salsa or Mexican hot sauce. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro or sliced scallions brightens everything with color and flavor.