Black Bean Tlayuda
A tlayuda is a dish from Oaxaca, consisting of a large, partially-fried tortilla with all sorts of delicious toppings. Chef Rudy Smith, corporate chef at Unilever Food Solutions, shows us how he makes this tlayuda topped with pureed black beans, chiles, fermented fennel, arugula, and smoked mushrooms. This Mexican dish offers a delicious balance of smoky, earthy, and creamy flavors.
Yield: 4 servings
Method
For the fermented fennel: Combine the sliced fennel, red onion, and garlic. Massage to release moisture.
Press for one or more hours to extract moisture.
Place in fermentation crock with liquid. Liquid should just cover the vegetables. If not enough liquid, add just enough water to cover slightly. Cover but don’t seal.
Allow to sit at room temperature (70 - 85°F.) until desired flavor is achieved, about 3 - 7 days. Move to refrigerator.
For the tortillas: Combine masa harina, water and salt and form a soft dough. If too dry, add a little water.
Roll into 6 oz. balls.
Using a tortilla press, press the dough balls between plastic to form a large disk.
Quickly griddle on both sides until crisp.
For the black bean puree: Soak the guajillo chiles in warm, prepared Knorr® Professional Ultimate Vegetable Base to soften, about 15 – 30 minutes.
Drain chiles, and reserving soaking liquid.
Puree chiles with just enough of the broth to get a smooth puree. Reserve.
Roast and peel the poblano and serrano chiles. Remove stems and seeds, and chop.
Pulse the beans and the chili puree in a food processor until slightly pureed, but still somewhat chunky. Add the chopped peppers, cumin and salt. Mix well. The puree should be very spreadable. If too thick, thin with the remaining chile broth to the desired consistency. Reserve.
For the smoked mushrooms: Place mushrooms in smoker and smoke for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Once mushrooms are done smoking, toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Place mushrooms in oven and roast for 15 - 20 minutes to concentrate flavor. Reserve and keep warm.
For the garlic aioli: Mix together Hellmann’s® Vegan Mayonnaise with roasted garlic puree, and place in a squeeze bottle.
For assembly: Heat bean puree, smoked mushrooms, and fennel.
Toss arugula with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread bean puree on crispy tortilla. Top with smoked mushrooms, fennel, and arugula.
Drizzle with garlic aioli.
Source: Chef Rudy Smith from Unilever Food Solutions. Published with permission of the author. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
For the fermented fennel
750 grams fennel bulb, thinly sliced
230 grams red onion, thinly sliced
20 grams garlic, thinly sliced
20 grams salt
For the tortillas
2 cups Masa harina
1 ½ cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
For the black bean puree
1oz. guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 cups Knorr® Professional Ultimate Vegetable Base
10 oz. poblano peppers
4 oz. serrano chiles
1 lb. black beans, cooked
½ tsp. cumin
¾ tsp. salt
For the smoked mushrooms
2 lb. Assorted mushrooms
as needed, olive oil
as needed, salt
as needed, pepper
For the garlic aioli
1 cup Hellmann’s® Vegan Mayonnaise
¼ cup roasted garlic puree
For assembly
2 oz. baby arugula
as needed, olive oil
as needed, salt
as needed, pepper
This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service,
thanks to the generous support of Unilever Food Solutions.
