A comal is an essential piece of Mexican cookware. It’s basically a griddle or flat pan used to make tortillas, toast spices and roast chiles. Now mostly made of steel, they are unbreakable and heat up quickly. More romantic and difficult (my style exactly) is the comal made of clay.
The fire needs to start on low, but a clay comal can really take the heat. I’ve made tortillas in mine and I’ve pan-roasted tomatillos for salsas, oregano for cooking and once even cooked a pounded steak. One of my favorite tricks is to heat up a little olive oil and a smashed garlic clove and then add raw, shelled pumpkin seeds and sea salt. They need to be kept moving or they’ll burn, but once they’ve cooked, they’re fine in a salad or as a snack.
These comales (the plural of comal) are from San Marcos, near Oaxaca. The one on the bottom left is new, the one on the top has been slathered with a thin paste made from CaL, to keep the tortillas from sticking. I use this one exclusively for tortilla-making. The bottom right one has seen the most action and I use it to roast vegetables and toast herbs.
A cast-iron skillet is a good substitute but if you like to do things the hard way, as I do, keep your eyes open for a clay comal. Any good Mexican grocery will have the steel version.
I just made my first tortillas last night! I’m so excited! Now I need a comal, and I’m going to get a press (sorry, I have better things to do with my time than use a rolling pin on masa), and get some masa…
Cool – I’ve actually never seen a ceramic comal that I can remember.
The comal I use was made by my godfather when he worked at a foundry in the forties!
I wrote about it long ago:
http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/jen/2005/01/christmas_prese.html
Rebecca, for a press, unless you can find a heavy mesquite model, it’s better to use the heavy metal ones. The rolling pin sounds like too much work!
Jen, thanks for that. Cherish that thing!
these are beautiful. all the more beautiful for their evident use.
Where I live the Mexican stores don’t sale clay comales. So I bought a cast iron one but I really wanted to try out the clay comal.
can you season these with oil to make them non stick? I’m just curious. Oh and when you coat them with cal, do they leave a flavor on the food you are cooking? I am just curious bc i have to season my new clay pots. I am new to the whole concept. Thank you!
No, you make a slip of water and cal and spread it over. This makes them non-stick.
I would have a dedicated tortilla making comal and another for roasting vegetables.
I have a cast iron one I use for tortillas but just bought a clay one to use for veggies. I soaked it, dried it, and rubbed it with garlic. Should I do anything else before I put veggies on it?
A clay comal should be treated first with a slather of ‘Cal’, calcium hydroxide, and allowed to dry. There’s a picture above showing before and after comals…
I have just treated mine and it’s apparently ready to use!!
So excited!!
I just bought my clay comal from Poctli.com and it has changed my cooking. Making salsas and tortillas is sooo much fun with my comal from Oaxaca.
OK, my clay comal is coated (twice) with Ca(OH)2. It is quite white. Do I rinse it before using it to sear shrimp? Or add oil to it? Do I reapply Ca(OH)2 with each use?