If you were raised in a culture where dried fish in the kitchen signaled special occasions (maybe even everyday food), you’ll likely love these tortas. If this doesn’t describe your story, you may have come to love bacalao, as I did, through repetition, perhaps even determination. In any case, these tortas–especially popular in Mexico during Lent and all year from some vendors–celebrate that classic Mexican fish-tomato-olive-green chile flavor.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 8-inch demi-baguettes
- About ⅔ cup cooked beans (any color is welcome here) with just enough liquid to cover, canned or home-cooked
- 1 or 2 tablespoons fresh-rendered pork lard or vegetable oil
- Salt
- 4 cups prepared Bacalao (see link to recipe in the note above)
- 2/3 cup (4 ounces) pitted green olives (manzanillas are common in Mexico), finely sliced into rounds
- 4 large pickled jalapeños, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the bread. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and warm the bread for about 5 minutes to re-crisp. Split each roll in half around the equator, then pull out some of the migas (the soft bread) from the middle of each roll’s bottom half.
Make the bean puree. Scrape the beans into a blender or food processor, add the lard or oil and process until smooth. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
Layer the Tortas. Warm the bacalao in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly until steaming. Smear a portion of the bean spread over the bottom of each roll, then scoop on a portion of the warmed bacalao and spread it to cover the bread. Top with olives and pickled jalapeño slices, and you’re ready for a very good torta.
