YIELD: 12 to 16 small tortillas | PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: about 20 minutes
• 3 to 4 barely ripened yellow plantains (2 to 2 ½ pounds)
• ⅓ cup egg whites (2 to 3 large eggs)
• 3 tablespoons lard or fat of your choice, melted but not hot, plus more for greasing the parchment paper
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Peel the plantains by cutting off the tops and bottoms and slicing through the skin along the length of the plantain. Roughly chop the plantains and place in the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender.
3. Add the egg whites, melted lard, lime juice, and salt. Blend until very smooth.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or work in batches if you only have one baking sheet). Grease the parchment paper liberally.
5. Using a medium (2-ounce) ladle or cookie scoop, drop four ¼-cup portions of batter onto each pan, leaving plenty of room between them. Using the ladle and/or a rubber spatula, smooth out the batter into thin circles. Get them as thin as you can while keeping them intact.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are dry to the touch and just starting to brown at the edges. If using two pans at once, switch their positions halfway through.
7. Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to grease the parchment paper each time.
Chef’s Tips: These tortillas store, freeze, and reheat beautifully. Reheat them over a gas flame for 20 seconds on each side, turning as needed, or in the oven or on a grill.
Although you may have to adjust the cooking time, you can make these tortillas any size you like.
