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Salvadoran Quesadilla

Salvadoran Quesadilla

cooking.nytimes.com
A Salvadoran quesadilla, unlike the Mexican dish of the same name, is a sweet bread verging on cake, just savory enough for breakfast or a midafternoon pick-me-up. There are variations based on rice flour, yuca flour or masa harina; Karla Tatiana Vasquez, in “The SalviSoul Cookbook” (Ten Speed Press, 2024), suggests all-purpose flour as an accessible starting point. Traditionally, the quesadilla’s salty kiss comes from queso duro blando, an aged Salvadoran cheese, but Parmesan, equally funky, makes a good substitute. Crema Salvadoreña, the thick top skimmed off fresh cream and left to turn gently sour, brings a touch of tang. It’s akin to crème fraîche, which may be used instead. (In a pinch, Ms. Vasquez has improvised with diluted yogurt.) Ideally, she says, you whip up the quesadilla after lunch, bake it until there’s browning at the edges, let cool, and by 3 o’clock it’s yours for the taking, between sips of hot, dark coffee.
  • Preparation:
  • Cooking:
  • Total:
  • Serves: 1 person

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch square cake pan or cast-iron skillet.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk or beat until thoroughly combined. Add the queso, milk and crema and mix well. Gradually add the melted butter to the queso mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.

  4. Step 4

    In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed (or a whisk), whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Set aside. Shake or tap off the mixer beaters.

  5. Step 5

    Add one-third of the flour mixture to the queso mixture. Using the electric mixer on low speed, mix just until combined. Repeat with half the remaining flour, and then the rest of the flour, scraping the bowl and beaters after each addition.

  6. Step 6

    Add the egg whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold them into the batter by gently scooping up some of the mixture from the bottom and folding it over the whites on the top, rotating the bowl and repeating until no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.

  7. Step 7

    Bake the quesadilla until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (If the toothpick comes out with any moisture on it, continue baking for about 5 minutes more.) Let cool for 5 minutes. 

  8. Step 8

    Cut the quesadilla into squares or wedges to serve.
NY Times
cooking.nytimes.com