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Freeform sopes easily made at home By Sarah Lemon Updated: Apr 05, 2022 10:45 AM A A My recent experience with Tex-Mex cuisine was far from revelatory. If I closed my eyes eating in Austin and San Antonio, I very well could have been eating in Southern Oregon, so similar were the flavors. That included sopes, a lesser known dish in many parts of the United States that I favor in local taquerias and also tried in Texas. About the circumference of a baseball, sopes are a masa shell meant to cradle a variety of fillings. Chicken is common but sopes can be containers for ingredients as simple as refried beans or avocado. Their kissing cousin, chalupas, are shaped like canoes. Less popular in most restaurants than tacos, an order of sopes often can guarantee fresh masa, formed by hand. And that certainly seemed to be the case with the ones I ordered from a happy hour menu in San Antonio. Hot and slightly greasy, the sopes were filled with a creamy, barely spicy mixture of chicken, chopped onion and cilantro. These go down effortlessly with a margarita. If I didn’t have enchiladas on order, I would have requested another round of sopes. And once my main dish arrived, barely reheated with its Hatch chiles skimpily scattered on top, rather than incorporated into the sauce, I wished I’d just stuck with the appetizer. But this dish is one of the easier Mexican specialties to make at home. Freeform sopes don’t need tortillas’ special press. They can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and stored at room temperature in a closed container. Place on a baking sheet and put into a heated 350-degree oven to reheat and re-crisp before filling, for about 10 minutes. Leftover cooked chicken — even rotisserie — makes a great filling. Tribune News Service photo Crispy Sopes (or Chalupas) 2 cups (10 ounces) powdered masa harina, such as Maseca, OR 1 pound fresh masa dough for tortillas 2 tablespoons sunflower, safflower or expeller pressed canola oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Sunflower, safflower or expeller pressed canola oil, for shallow frying Shredded Chicken With Chipotle and Avocado (recipe follows) Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving Salsa, warmed for serving Mix the masa harina and 1 1/3 cups very hot water in a medium-size bowl with a spoon until a dough forms. (Alternatively, put fresh masa dough in bowl without water.) Add the 2 tablespoons oil, the salt and baking powder. Use clean hands to work ingredients into dough, then gather dough into a smooth ball. Dribble in teaspoons of water as needed to make a soft dough that isn’t crumbly. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 10 to 12 equal portions (each about 1 ounce) and roll each into a ball. Cover balls with a damp towel. For sopes, flatten ball into a 2 1/2 inch diameter round disc. Use your fingertips to pinch up an edge, about 1/2 inch in height, to form a shallow cup. Place it back under damp towel while you shape all dough balls. (Always keep dough covered with a moist towel to prevent drying.) For chalupas, put one dough ball onto a piece of parchment paper. Use clean hands to shape dough ball into a football about 2 1/2 inches long. Use your fingertips to press a slight indentation in center of football to form a shallow canoe shape about 2 inches long with thick sides. Line a baking sheet with a paper towel. Turn on exhaust fan. Pour oil into a large nonstick skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat over medium until hot but not smoking. Check oil temperature by dipping an edge of a corn masa shape into oil; it should sizzle. Add several corn masa shapes (canoes or cups) to pan without crowding them. Fry until bottoms are beautifully golden, for about 2 minutes. Carefully flip to fry edge of shapes to golden, for about 1 minute. Flip again so they are flat side down and spoon a little oil in and around shapes’ edges. Cook 1 to 2 more minutes to crisp. Carefully remove to prepared baking sheet. Repeat to fry all shapes. Top each hot, crispy sope or chalupa with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling with avocado. Other easy options include sauteed mushrooms and onion, guacamole, refried black beans and shredded cheese. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Spoon on the salsa as desired. Eat out of hand with plenty of napkins or place on a plate, garnish with a salad and use a fork to enjoy. Makes 20 to 24. Shredded Chicken with Chipotle and Avocado: In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, mix together 3 cups shredded chicken, 1/2 can fire-roasted tomatoes, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 sliced scallions and 2 to 3 teaspoons pureed chipotle in adobo. Microwave on high (100 percent power) until warm, for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and 1 small peeled, pitted and chopped avocado. Use warm or at room temperature to fill sopes, chalupas or warm tortillas for tacos. Makes about 3 cups.