Caramelized Red Onion Sopes with Chorizo Potatoes and re-fried Red Lentils
I am a big fan of food that can be shared over the table, I love serving different things to try at once, have a little bit of Mexican rice, a side of cactus salad, fresh salsas, cremas, maybe a few enchiladas potosinas and sopes, the mix and matching of equally delicious things gets me every time, it’s no wonder that eating is one of life’s biggest pleasures.
This truly brings memories of family parties in Mexico when each one of my aunties brings their star dish to the table, so we all get to have a feast in our plates , so hard to choose!
Sopes have a special place in my heart and are perfect for sharing , I have found them to be among other things one of my favorite things to make, there is no need for a tortilla press when making these, just your hands and masa .
I put my music on for inspiration and I start making sopes and more sopes, for this recipe I made sure to make the tastiest of sopes to start with by mixing it with caramelized onions, then is topped with delicious homemade re-friend lentils and classic but delicious potatoes with chorizo , a little bit of avocado crema on top and my mouth is watering just thinking about it, so I’ll let you try it and please do tell me what you think!
Makes 7 sopes
Ingredients:
7 caramelized red onion sopes (1 recipe).
1 cup corn flour , (to make tortillas).
2 tsp sea salt.
1 red onion, (roughly chopped).
1 tbsp rapeseed oil.
1 tsp chipotle flakes.
1tsp tamari sauce.
1 tsp honey.
1/2 - 3/4 cup of boiling water, approx.
Re-fried red lentils, (1/2 recipe).
*Note: there is no need to add greek yoghurt, feta and avocado for this recipe.
Potatoes with Chorizo.
300 grams organic pork chorizo, (chopped in small bits).
2 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled, (cut in small cubes).
Avocado Crema.
1 ripe avocado.
1/2 lime (juice).
1 tbsp of creme fraiche.
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
Handful of coriander or parsley.
Maldon salt and black coarse pepper to taste.
Garnish.
200 gm Feta cheese.
Method.
Heat up the rapeseed oil into a pan, add the onions and cook them slowly. Once they get soft and caramelized add your chipotle flakes, tamari sauce and honey, stir the mixture and cook for another minute, then remove them from the heat and place them into a food processor, blitz the onion mixture until you get a paste like consistency.
In a medium bowl pour in your corn flour, sea salt and onion paste, add half of the water and mix with a wooden spoon, integrate the ingredients and once your masa is cool down enough , work it with your hands and over your kitchen counter, knead briefly and add more water if necessary. The masa should be soft but not sticky.
Then follow these steps to make the sopes, check images for guidance:
Form same size masa balls, you get about 7 out of this recipe.
Work between the palms of your hands passing them from one hand to the other until you form masa discs.
Place them in a hot non stick pan, until they get a bit toasted on each side.
Remove from the pan, and while they are still warm pinch the edges with your finger tips forming a vessel and press the middle to even out the surface.
Then fry your chorizo into a hot pan, once it gets a bit of color and releases it’s oils add the potatoes, mix gently and coat the potatoes with the chorizo fat, season simply with a pinch of maldon salt and black coarse pepper, set aside.
For the avocado crema add all the ingredients into a food processor, blend really smooth, season and taste, add a bit of water if you prefer a more runny like consistency.
To ensemble these beauties I place the sopes over a hot non stick pan (you may add a bit of oil if you like a crunchy bottom), add a spoonful of re-fried red lentils and spread on each one of them, then let them cook for a few minutes.
Once they are ready place them over a nice serving platter and then top them with a spoonful of chorizo and potatoes mixture, add a drizzle of the avocado crema and the feta cheese crumbled on top , I finish them with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs , serve warm and enjoy the party!