Ep 5. Flour Power

In this episode of Pati's Mexican Table, titled "Flour Power," host Pati Jinich explores a staple ingredient of Mexican cuisine - flour - and showcases how it is used in a variety of dishes.

First off, Pati demonstrates how easy it is to make homemade flour tortillas. She shares her recipe, which involves just four simple ingredients: flour, salt, water, and lard. After mixing the dough, Pati rolls out the tortillas and cooks them on a hot comal (griddle) until they are lightly charred and tender. She also notes that while store-bought tortillas are certainly convenient, nothing beats the taste and texture of homemade ones.

Next, Pati whips up a batch of chorizo and potato sopes, a beloved street food in Mexico. Sopes are small, thick tortillas that are pinched at the edges to create a shallow well in the center. Pati fills these with a savory combination of crumbled chorizo, diced potatoes, and onions, then tops them with crumbled queso fresco and a dollop of guacamole. The result is a satisfying and flavorful snack that is perfect for sharing with friends.

Moving on from savory to sweet, Pati shows viewers how to make cajeta, a caramel-like sauce that is commonly made with goat's milk and sugar. She explains that cajeta is used in a wide variety of ways in Mexican desserts, including as a topping for ice cream, as a filling for cakes and pastries, and as a dipping sauce for churros. Pati's recipe involves simmering goat's milk and sugar until it caramelizes and thickens into a rich, syrupy sauce. She recommends storing any leftovers in the fridge, where it will keep for up to a month.

Finally, Pati prepares an impressive dish that combines elements of both sweet and savory: flour-crusted shrimp with chipotle mayo. For the coating on the shrimp, Pati grinds up a combination of flour, cornmeal, and spices in a food processor. After coating the shrimp in the flour mixture, she fries them up until they are golden brown and crispy. To serve, Pati whips up a quick and flavorful chipotle mayo by blending together mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and lime juice. The resulting dish is a balance of crunchy, flavorful shrimp and creamy, spicy sauce.

Throughout the episode, Pati offers interesting tidbits and facts about flour and its place in Mexican cuisine. She notes that wheat flour was not widely consumed in Mexico until the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, and even then it was primarily used for making sweet pastries and cakes. Over time, wheat flour became more widely available and began to be used in savory dishes as well. And while traditional Mexican cuisine relies heavily on corn-based products like tortillas and tamales, flour tortillas and other wheat-based dishes have become beloved staples in their own right.

Overall, "Flour Power" is a delicious and informative episode that showcases the versatility and importance of flour in Mexican cuisine. Pati's recipes are easy to follow and her warm, inviting demeanor makes viewers feel like they are cooking alongside a friend.