Shaping Corn Taco Shells

Papa Smurf didn't do much cooking when I was growing up.  He made rice, and he made taco shells.  I suspect the latter was because my mom didn't really like frying anything.  I remember frying dozens of wontons when I was maybe 10 years old in the little countertop deep fryer.  And yet I wasn't allowed to have an Easy-Bake Oven until I reached the recommended 8 years old?

Of course, nowadays you can buy pre-shaped taco shells that usually come intact.  I happened to have four tortillas and half a pound of shredded pork in the freezer, plus a jar of tomatillo salsa that had not sealed.  I'm trying to get rid of all the small baggies and jars taking up space in the freezer.  I even passed up turkey sales because I didn't want to play tetris to get the bird in there.

It's very easy to fry and shape the tortillas.  Two ingredients, a pair of tongs, and you're good to go.  What I do remember from taco night was Papa Smurf using the adjustable roasting rack as a drying rack for the shells.  Set it over paper towels to catch the drips, and it's like drying laundry.

*White- or Yellow-corn tortillas
Oil for frying

1.  Start heating 1/4" of peanut or vegetable oil in an omelet pan over medium high heat.  When a drop of water dances, you're ready to fry.

2.  Using tongs, set a tortilla in the oil.  It will start to fry immediately.  If it doesn't, the oil isn't hot enough.  Cook for 10 seconds, then flip and cook an additional 5 seconds, unless you like extra-crispy tortillas and want to go longer.  I don't like when they crunch apart.

3.  Use the tongs to fold the tortilla into the shell shape.  Hang upside-down on a roasting rack set over paper towels to maintain shape as they cool.

4.  Fill and serve.  Once cooled, shells can be stored at room temperature for a day.  Re-crisp in toaster oven if necessary.

Difficulty rating  π