Ever Try Tlayudas a.k.a. Oaxacan Pizza?

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I came across a great little article in the June 2011 issue of Psychologies Magazine, about Thomasina Miers and her passion for Mexican street food.  Thomasina Miers emerged as an authority in Mexican cuisine by winning the UK cooking game show MasterChef in 2005, and later by opening four Wahaca Restaurants and has plans for a Mexican food truck.  So what does the UK have to do with LA?…well not much but in the article she gives recipes for Coconut Ceviche and an Oaxacan Pizza, a.k.a. Tlayudas.  Why would I bring this up now when her latest book was published a year ago?   If you can find a Thomasina Miers cookbook in the LA area near you let me know.  There is a small reference to her brand new TV show Mexican Food Made Simple, but unless you subscribe to UK channels, you may be out of luck. 

Check out the Channel 5 website for a look at what Chef Tommi has to offer.  The first episode airs on Tuesday 7/5/11. The magazine can be found online at www.psychologies.co.uk and in print usually in the international section where ever magazines are sold.  I am all for making Thomasina Miers’ food accessable to Latinos in Southern California, and she is slowly making her way west.  Try out this super easy & super delicious recipe.  Try grilling this the next time you’re cooking outdoors and a sqeeze of fresh lime.  Oh, and feel free to add  little more cheese.

Tlayudas [clae-yoo-das] are wonderful messy open pizzas, sold at night on the streets of Oaxaca.
serves 4
cooking time 15 minutes
1 large bag of baby spinach
small knob of butter
sea salt and black pepper
olive oil
4 large flat breads (large Middle Eastern pitas, Turkish or Italian flatbreads)
4 heaped tbsp guacamole or the flesh of a ripe avocado
2 balls mozzarella, grated
80g (2.8 oz.) pecorino or mature cheddar cheese, grated
300g (10.5 oz.) leftover chicken or 2 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
8 very ripe fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp roughly chopped herbs (basil, tarragon, chervil or coriander)
2 handfuls rocket (arugula)

Wash the spinach and shake dry. Heat a large pan, add the butter to it, then add the spinach and cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted down. Remove from the pan, squeeze dry and season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Heat a large frying pan big enough to hold the flat breads or a flat griddle pan. Put one flatbread in the pan and sprinkle with a tiny bit of water to gently heat it.  Once slightly crisp, turn it over. Spread a layer of guacamole on first, followed by some grated mozzarella and a quarter of the rest of the ingredients. When the outer side of the bread is crisp and the mozzarella has begun to melt, fold the pizza over so it looks a little like an open calzone. Slide on to a plate and slice into pieces.

Serve the tlayudas with a blow-your-head-off salsa or a roast tomato sauce with or without chipotles.

The recipe used here was taken from Mexican Food Made Simple by Thomasina Miers, as printed in the June 2011 issue of Psychologies Magazine.

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1 Comment

  1. Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

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