Dinner Tonight: Quesadillas with Mushrooms
No, not the ones with shredded Monterey jack and flour tortillas. I gave those up years ago. These Diana Kennedy-approved quesadillas are made from masa (the Spanish cornmeal dough in tortillas, tamales, arepas), stuffed with Oaxaca cheese and strips of poblano, and crisped up on a skillet until browned and bubbling. I never thought I'd like quesadillas so much.
That said, these are far more labor-intensive then sprinkling cheese on a tortilla and tossing it into the microwave. They can be made in under an hour, but you'll have to work quickly. The hardest part is constructing the quesadillas, as the masa tears easily. Plastic wrap and a metal spatula solves most of the problem. Just sandwich the masa balls between a large sheet of plastic wrap, then flatten the quesadilla in a tortilla press (or with an iron skillet, albeit very gently). Carefully peel back the plastic and set it on a cutting board. Top with the ingredients, and with a metal spatula, fold the quesadilla in half. With the metal spatula, transfer it to the skillet.
Sounds a lot more confusing on paper. After making 12 of these, I found my quesadilla making groove. These are unlike any quesadilla I've had before: they actually taste good.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a co-founder of The Paupered Chef, a blog dedicated to saving time and money while enjoying food in every way possible. He sells wine for a living and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Quesadillas with Mushrooms
- serves 2 -
Adapted from From My Mexican Kitchen by Diana Kennedy
Ingredients
1 cup tortilla masa harina
3/4 cup warm water
5 ounces Oaxaca cheese, shredded
1 poblano chile, stem removed, and sliced thinly
Salt
Procedure
1. Combine the warm water, a pinch of salt, and the masa harina until doughy. Set in a bowl, wrap with plastic, and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, pour the oil into a skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook the mushrooms until they have released their liquid. Set aside.
3. Divide the masa ball into 12 little balls. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap, about 2 feet long, and set a ball of dough on top, and fold over the wrap to cover. Flatten each ball with a tortilla press or the bottom of a large pot. It should be about 1/8 inch thick, just a little bit thicker than a normal tortilla.
4. Set one strip of poblano in the center, sprinkle with a little cheese, and a small handful of mushrooms. Fold the masa in half, using the plastic wrap to . Repeat with the other balls.
5. Set a large skillet over medium high heat. Set a few quesadillas on and cook for five minutes. Then flip, and cook for another five minutes. Serve immediately.
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5 Comments:
"These are unlike any quesadilla I've had before: they actually taste good. "
so negative. I enjoy these quesadillas very much, but flour tortillas and monterrey jack can be used to make a decent dish as well.
good tortilla making description though.
intheyearofthepig at 5:08PM on 09/22/08
At the risk of sounding stupid, do you put any oil in the skillet prior to cooking the quesadillas, or do you do it dry?
kahayden at 7:11PM on 09/22/08
These sound really great, but I agree with the first post, there is such a thing as good quesadillas using flour tortillas. Mine with all grilled vegies, like eggplant, red peppers, onions, squash, zucchini, portobellas ... you get the idea ... topped with Monterey jack or pepper jack are really great, too!
alpurv at 9:29AM on 09/24/08
The oil and mushrooms seem to be missing from the ingredient list. What quantities did you use?
teaspotnyc at 10:30AM on 09/24/08
the oil for frying mushrooms, is with the eye, to cook the quesadillas, I would do it dry.
and the amount of mushrooms are determined by how full you want the quesadillas.
baking is scientific...exact proportions of things that combine to behave in a certain manner (rise, chewy, light, dense, etc)
the joy of cooking is to please the palate and then the eye. experiment, be bold, add a bit of joy and taste!
crismoon at 11:16AM on 09/27/08