Quesadilla

Quesadilla de Flor de Calabaza con Hongos

A classic Mexico City–style quesadilla with sautéed mushrooms and squash blossoms folded into melting Oaxaca cheese between a griddled corn tortilla. Served with salsa verde and a little fresh cheese on top.

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •8 small tortillas (~30 g each) fresh corn tortillas, Blue or white masa tortillas are most traditional; flour works outside Mexico
• •300 g (10½ oz) Oaxaca cheese (queso Oaxaca), shredded, or substitute with mozzarella + a little queso fresco
• •150 g (5¼ oz) oyster or cremini mushrooms, torn or sliced into bite-size pieces
• •8 to 10 squash blossoms (flor de calabaza) squash blossoms, pistils removed, roughly chopped; substitute baby zucchini flowers or baby spinach
• •1 Tbsp lard or neutral oil, lard is the traditional choice for comal cooking
• •white onion, ½, finely chopped
• •1 garlic clove garlic, minced
• •1 small sprig epazote, optional; finely chopped, or substitute a few leaves of fresh marjoram
• •1 pinch fine sea salt
• •120 g (4¼ oz) tomatillos, for the salsa verde, husked and rinsed
• •1 small jalapeño or serrano chile green chile, for the salsa verde
• •8 g (⅛ oz) fresh cilantro, small handful, for the salsa
• •white onion, ½, for the salsa, chopped
• •60 g (2 oz) queso fresco or fresh farmer cheese, crumbled, to finish
• •1 wedge lime, to finish

Steps

1. 1 Make the salsa verde: place the tomatillos and the whole green chile in a small saucepan, cover with water and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the tomatillos are olive-green and soft. Drain, reserving a little liquid. Blend with the cilantro, chopped onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a coarse purée, loosening with a splash of the cooking water if needed. Taste and season.
2. 2 Cook the filling: heat the lard on a comal or large dry skillet over medium-high. Add the chopped onion and cook 2 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and leave undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes so they brown. Toss, season with salt, add the epazote (if using) and the chopped squash blossoms. Cook 2 more minutes, just until the blossoms wilt. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
3. 3 Warm the tortillas: wipe the comal clean. Lightly grease with a thin film of lard. Heat each tortilla 20 to 30 seconds per side until pliable and faint char marks appear.
4. 4 Build and cook the quesadilla: lay a warm tortilla flat on the comal. Spread about 35 g (roughly 1/4 cup) of the Oaxaca cheese over half the tortilla, then spoon a generous tablespoon of the mushroom–blossom mixture on top of the cheese. Fold the empty half over to enclose. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the tortilla is crisp and golden-brown spots appear and the cheese melts fully (you should see a thin line of molten cheese at the seam).
5. 5 Repeat with the remaining tortillas, keeping the cooked quesadillas warm on a clean tea towel.
6. 6 Serve immediately, topped with a spoonful of warm salsa verde, a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco, a squeeze of lime and, in Mexico City tradition, a little extra salsa of choice.