Puffy Tacos with Shredded Chicken

By AzWench

Corn or flour tortillas deep-fried until they puff are a specialty of San Antonio’s Tex-Mex cuisine. The homemade chicken broth used in the recipe can be refrigerated and used within 3 to 4 days, or frozen for 4 to 6 months.
Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

• For the shredded chicken:
• 3 - to 4-lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces, backbone reserved
• 1 onion, unpeeled and quartered
• 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, skins on, crushed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the tomato sauce:
• 4 large ripe tomatoes (about 1-1/4 lb.), quartered
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the tacos:
• 3 cups masa harina
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 12 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• For serving:
• Shredded iceberg lettuce (optional)
• Chopped tomatoes (optional)
• Prepared salsa (optional)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the chicken:

Put the chicken pieces and backbone in an 8-quart, heavy-duty pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken by 3 inches. Add the onion, celery, garlic, 2 Tbs. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to medium, and continue to boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms on top.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces from the pot and place on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the bone and shred the meat with your fingers or 2 forks. Discard the bones, strain the broth through a medium-mesh strainer, and reserve for another use.

Make the tomato sauce:

Put the tomatoes in a blender and blend until puréed.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the puréed tomatoes, garlic powder, cumin, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper to the skillet and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken to the tomato sauce and heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Make the tacos:

Combine the masa harina, salt, and 2-1⁄4 cups warm water in a large bowl and stir until a dough forms. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape each into a ball. Using a tortilla press or rolling pin, flatten a ball into a 6-inch disk, transfer it to a plate lined with plastic wrap, and cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

Pour the oil into a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Place 1 tortilla in the oil. When it begins to puff, press the end of a metal spatula into the middle of the tortilla so that it bends into a taco shape; hold the spatula in place until the taco is golden brown and crisp, 1-1⁄2 to 2 minutes. Transfer the taco to paper towels to drain, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To serve:

Fill each taco shell with some of the chicken mixture. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa, if using, and serve right away.