Sopes

Step 1: Mix 9 oz masa harina and ½ tsp salt in a bowl, pour in 1 ½ cups warm water and knead with your hand for 2 minutes into a soft, smooth dough, like play dough. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 10 minutes so the corn fully hydrates.

Step 2: Test the dough: flatten a small ball between your palms. If the edges crack, knead in more water a tablespoon at a time; if it sticks to your hands, add a spoonful of masa harina. Getting this right is the key to sopes that don't split.

Step 3: Divide into 12 balls (about 45 g each) and keep them covered. Press each between two pieces of plastic (a cut freezer bag) in a tortilla press or with a heavy pan into an 8 cm disc about 8 mm thick.

Step 4: Heat a dry comal or heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the discs, 4 at a time, for about 2 minutes a side, until they are set with pale brown speckles but still soft in the middle.

Step 5: While each one is hot, hold it in a folded tea towel and pinch a raised rim all round the edge with your fingertips, then pinch the centre a few times to make a shallow hollow. Work fast: they are easiest to shape when just off the heat.

Step 6: Warm 10 ½ oz refried beans in a small pan over a low heat with a splash of water, stirring, until soft and spreadable.

Step 7: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the sopes rim-side up for 1–2 minutes, spooning a little oil into the hollows, until the base is crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Step 8: Spread each sope with beans and top with ½ cup salsa roja, 2 ⅞ oz shredded lettuce, a drizzle of ¼ cup Mexican crema, crumbled 3 ½ oz queso fresco and ¼ white onion if using. Serve at once while the base is still crisp.