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1
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
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2
Put the masa harina in a large bowl, pour in the water and get in there with your hands, kneading until you have a uniform dough.
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3
It should take only a minute or two.
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4
You want a nice, moist dough, so work in a little more warm water if it's dry.
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5
If it's sticky, work in a little more masa harina.
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6
Break the dough into four equal pieces and roll each one into a ball.
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7
Put the balls on a plate or cutting board and cover them with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out.
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8
One at a time, roll them out with a rolling pin or clean wine bottle until they're a thin circle about 1/4-inch thick.
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9
Brush a little of the vegetable oil on a skillet or comal and heat it over medium-high heat until it's good and hot.
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10
Carefully add the first sope and cook it until little brown blisters appear on the bottom, about 45 seconds.
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11
Flip it over with a spatula and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds.
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12
Flip it over again, count to 10 and transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet.
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13
Keep it warm in the oven.
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14
Repeat with the remaining 3 sopes (adding a little more oil if you need to), and keep them in the oven until you're ready to serve them.
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15
Pour a couple of tablespoons of the oil into a skillet and add the chile, garlic and onions.
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16
Set the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
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17
Add the huitlacoche (or mushrooms) along with a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the huitlacoche is heated through, about 5 minutes (or until the mushrooms are a little browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes).
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18
Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
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19
Arrange your sopes on a platter.
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20
Cover with a thin layer of Roasted Tomato-Chile de Arbol Salsa, the huitlacoche or mushrooms, a drizzle of the crema fresca and a sprinkle of queso fresco.
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21
Serve the remaining salsa on the side.
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22
Active Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
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23
Preheat the boiler.
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24
Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil until the tomatoes are nice and charred, 10 to 12 minutes.
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25
Take the tomatoes out, let them cool just until you can handle them, slip off the skins and cut out the tough cores.
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26
Transfer the tomatoes to a big bowl (don't you dare forget the tomato juice that has leaked out and reduced to awesomeness on the baking sheet), and then roughly chop them.
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27
While the tomatoes are broiling, heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles (in batches, if necessary), flipping them over occasionally, until they just begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.
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28
Set them aside in a bowl.
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29
Put the olive oil, garlic and onions in a saucepan, set it over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes.
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30
Add the toasted chiles, tomatoes and 2 cups water, bring to a simmer and cook for another 12 minutes, so the flavors come together.
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31
Let it cool a bit.
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32
Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender.
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33
Add the cilantro, salt and pepper and puree until the mixture is very smooth.
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34
Pour the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl.
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35
Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
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36
Store the salsa in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to a week, or in the freezer for a month.
