Puffy Chicken Tacos

By stancec44

Corn or flour tortillas that are deep-fried until they puff are a specialty of San Antonio's Tex-Mex cuisine. This recipe for puffy tacos filled with spicy chicken and guacamole comes from Rolando's Super Tacos.

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 2 1⁄2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, plus 2 cloves minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 (14 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
• 2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and mashed
• Juice of 1 lime
• Canola oil, for frying
• 3 cups masa harina
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• Shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomato, and shredded cheddar cheese, to garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and add to pan, skin side down; cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; set aside. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until soft, about 20 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes, and return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until chicken is very tender, about 1 1⁄2 hours.

Remove chicken from sauce, and let cool; reserve sauce for another use. Discard skin and bones, and shred chicken; set aside. Meanwhile, combine avocados, garlic, lime juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl; chill guacamole until ready to use, covering to avoid browning.

Pour oil to a depth of 2″ in a 6-qt. Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375°. Stir together masa, butter, and 2 1⁄4 cups warm water in a bowl until dough forms; divide dough into 12 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Using a tortilla press or rolling pin, flatten each ball into a 6 1⁄2″ disk. Place 1 disk in oil. When it begins to puff, press the end of a metal spatula into the middle of the tortilla so that tortilla bends into a taco shape; hold spatula within tortilla until taco is golden brown and crisp, about 1 1⁄2 minutes. Transfer taco to paper towels to drain; repeat with remaining tortillas. Divide chicken and guacamole among tacos; top with lettuce, tomato, and cheese.