During some quesadilla chat with my friend Karla Zazueta, we got on to the subject of cheese. Your choice of cheese is crucial, said Karla, who always opts for one with a long, stringy texture. One option is Anatolia cheese – a Turkish variety similar to quesillo, a cheese from Mexico’s Oaxaca region; you can find it in Turkish shops. Alternatively, a combination of hard mozzarella (a block or ready-grated) mixed with cheddar also gets delicious results. More importantly, we agreed that there is nothing better than standing at the hob and eating a quesadilla fresh from the pan.
Cheese and corn quesadillas with roast salad onions or calçots
Prep 20 min
Cook 5 min
Serves 4
8 salad onions (spring onions with large bulbs), or calçots, if available
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and black pepper
1 corn cob
200g grated hard mozzarella, or Anatolia cheese
30g grated cheddar
8 small corn tacos, or small flour tortillas
For the slaw
50g coriander, leaves and soft stalks
Zest and juice of 2-3 limes – you need 4 tbsp juice
½ garlic clove
1 tbsp sliced pickled jalapeños, plus extra to finish and 1 tbsp of the brine
1 tbsp pickled jalapeño brine
½ small white cabbage, very finely shredded
A pinch of salt
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the onions in a single layer on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil, season well, then roast for 15 or so minutes, until golden and soft (the exact timing will depend on the size of the onions).
Meanwhile, make the slaw. Put the coriander, lime juice and zest, garlic, jalapeños and brine in a high-speed blender and blitz until well combined but not completely smooth. Put the shredded cabbage in a large bowl with a generous pinch of salt, then pour in the green dressing and mix with your hands so the cabbage is evenly coated.
Slice the corn kernels off the cob, then put them in a bowl with all the grated cheese and toss.
Put a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, then add two tacos (or as many as will fit), and toast for 20 seconds on each side, to soften. Put two heaped tablespoons of the cheesy corn filling on one side of each tortilla, then fold the other side over the corn mix. At this point, I like to add a little more grated cheese to the pan, so some sticks and crisps up around the quesadillas. Cook for a minute or two longer on both sides, until golden on the outside and the cheese inside has melted, then lift on to a platter and carefully open up the hot quesadilla. Stuff with some of the slaw, some of the roast onions and a few extra slices of pickled jalapeño, then eat immediately. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling mix.
You could, of course, serve them all together, in which case put the cooked quesadillas on a baking tray in a low oven to keep warm while you make the rest.
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