In Spain we are all familiar with arepas and corn tortillas, delicacies from Latin America, perfect blank canvases to fill in with anything we can imagine. But few people, especially those who live far to the North, know about talos: a kind of Spanish hybrid between arepas and tortillas, a thin, round dough made with corn flour, tender and slightly crisp on the outside, one of those recipes of yesteryear that should not be missed because it is part of our past.
The stems have their origin as bread in the houses of Guipúzcoa and Navarra. Personally, I am very fond of them because they are one of the first gastronomic experiences I remember in my life, on vacation with my parents in a bar in the Baztán Valley, one of those that you have to greet when you enter, with low light and infinite charm, where they made the talos in a specialized skillet over an open flame. They differ from arepas in that the flour used to make them has not been pre-cooked, so they have a more crumbly and gritty texture. This makes them a bit trickier to work with, as the dough will never form a structure as such, and will be a bit brittle before cooking. But hey, nothing that can’t be solved with plastic wrap and a little care.
Its most typical filling is chistorra, on its own, but I like to put a little melted cheese on them, which is how I tried them for the first time in that bar. I put gouda, which melts very well and does not take over the flavor, it gives its rightful role to the chistorra, but you can also put gruyère or manchego. Or fill them with whatever you want, go: with ham and cheese, with any stew, or even with chocolate cream so that they become a dessert.
Time: Four. Five minutes
Difficulty: Handle the dough without breaking it
Ingredients
For 10 stalks
- 300 g unrefined cornmeal
- 250 ml of water
- a pinch of salt
- 300 g chistorra
- Gouda / Gruyere / Manchego cheese to taste (optional)
- Olive oil
Instructions
In a bowl, add the cornmeal and a pinch of salt. Mix, and then add the boiling water. Mix with some rods, and when it can be handled with your hands, knead it for four or five minutes, until the dough is smooth and has a plasticine texture. Wrap in cling film and let rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
Fry the chistorra in a pan over medium-high heat with a little olive oil and reserve it in the same pan.
Divide the dough into balls of 50 grams each, rolling with both hands so that they are tight and smooth, without cracks.
On top of a piece of plastic wrap and lightly dusting the ball with a little cornmeal, flatten it little by little, tapping it with the palm of your hand, carefully turning it from time to time, until it measures 15 centimeters in diameter. diameter.
Carefully transfer the thallus to a preheated skillet over medium-high heat, and cook for about two minutes on both sides, until browned and slightly puffed up. While it cooks, continue forming the next stem. Once ready, reserve wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm. Repeat with all 10 balls.
Reheat the chistorra in the same pan and fill the stems with cheese and two pieces of chistorra each. Optionally, melt the cheese with a blowtorch. Serve hot.
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