I’ve been frequenting a London-based Mexican cantina chain for some time, mainly as I have been mystery dining there, but it’s always a haunt when my friends visit from abroad due to the tequila mojitos. They offer an assortment of Mexican bites, the owner won Masterchef too, it’s therefore quite embarrassing that I make a couple of dishes better than theirs.
Americans amongst you may scoff at our new found affinity to Mexican food as you pat me on the head and say “bless”, you probably know it all already, and this version is hardly shooting pistols and shouting “Ariba”
On the menu at this restaurant are potato and chorizo quesidillas, they are ok, nothing special, I immediately knew how to improve on them.
The potato version is just too carb heavy and as they are sautéed first they don’t absorb the chorizo’s coppery juices.
The solution slapped me in the face.
After I tended to my sore cheek, I went about solving the quesidilla dilemma. The answer was Butternut Squash. Roasted beforehand, of course it takes longer but you don’t have to do anything to it, you can do it the night before and leave it in the fridge.
Here’s what you need to make about 4/6 quesidillas
- Butternut squash peeled and chopped into chunks, I only use half of one.
- Chorizo, I had 6 small nuggets of cooking chorizo and half a cured chorizo, either is fine, I used both, makes no odds just the cooking chorizo needs longer. Chop into small bits, peeling off the papery skin if using a cured chorizo.
- Half a red onion, finely diced.
- A red chilli finely diced, or half, depending on the size (optional)
- Thyme, dried or fresh, I don’t care
- Mature cheddar cheese grated
- Flour tortillas
- Sour cream to serve, guacamole too if you feel fancy.
Put your squash in an oven dish and toss with a dash of oil, salt and pepper and some thyme, mix together and roast, about 45 minutes on a 220 degree oven (UK oven, I’m not doing conversions), turning occasionally. I tip mine onto kitchen towel after cooking to take up some of the excess oils. Leave to cool a bit as it’s way too hot to use straight away, or make the night before and stick in the fridge. Mash it up with a fork first though.
Meanwhile in a saucepan, or frying pan. add the onions and chilli to a dash of oil, add a pinch of salt to stop onions burning. Fry for a couple of minutes then add some thyme and pepper. Then add the chorizo. Fry until it’s juices leach out and it’s ready to your liking.
Prepare your quesidiallas now so you can go straight to cooking in batches.
Place a couple of tablespoons of the squash on one half of the tortilla, leave half a centimetre around the edge for one you close it later. Then add some of the chorizo mixture on top, the squash will lovingly soak up those juices from the sausage. Careful not to overload it.
Then add some cheese on top and then fold over the empty half of the tortilla over the filled half and press down. Repeat till all ready to fry.
Take a good griddle or non stick fry pan, leave it dry, no need for oil. Turn to a medium heat, nothing too hot to burn the tortilla, it doesn’t need much, once it’s hot enough add the quesidilla, turning once the underside is done. Takes minutes is all, lift out and leave to cool a couple of minutes.
Serve with sour cream to dip and lots of napkins to clear up the mess you’ll be in afterwards.
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