Kelly Clark and I just got back from an epic surf trip to Nicaragua. Waves were big and our group of seven people built up big appetites after several surf sessions daily. Since I am still learning to surf, I hung back one morning and jumped in the kitchen with an amazing local woman. Along with her many talents, cooking was one of them, and she was kind enough to teach me how to hand make corn tortillas. These tasty and fresh tortillas were then mixed in with every meal. They pair great with eggs in the morning, wraps in the afternoon, and tacos in the evening.

Ingredients For Tortillas
1 3/4 cups Corn masa harina (corn flour)
1 1/8 cups warm water

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and warm water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more corn flour; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.



Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap. If using your hands, use one piece of plastic below the dough, and press your fingers flat against dough in a circular motion until evenly round and thin.

Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.



Tip: When each side has been cooked tortilla may begin to puff up, which is a signal that it’s finished. Also, to avoid the dough from burning in the skillet, sprinkle a little water on dough if it gets too hot.

Serve with any chosen toppings and a splash of lime. Delicious!