I have been waiting for local corn to come into season to take advantage of this recipe again and to share it with you. This dish is explosive in flavor, captivating in color, and tantalizing in textures. It takes beautifully to being passed on a platter or served individually plated as an impressive entree. And as ambitious as the venture in creating it may be, it’s worth the energy on sheer presentation value alone. Time after time this unconventional combination of ingredients comes together as a symphony of southwestern flavors leaving even the best quesadilla recipes behind in the desert dust.
You can call these Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, New Mex, Modern Mex, or Nuevo Mex…I just call them delicious.
These quesadillas are made a little differently by layering three tortillas together, with two layers of filling as opposed to the classic two tortilla-one filling combo. Rather than being shallow fried in oil, they are baked in a very hot oven. The result is a lighter, crispier version, that looks fabulous on the plate and has layer upon layer of flavor. Each element of this quesadilla would be good on its own, but when put together, it makes for something truly unique . The result… for the past 5 years this quesadilla has been our single most requested recipe. Without fail, everyone who has ever had the pleasure of indulging in it leaves with an overstuffed belly and a copy of the recipe.
Yield: 4 Servings
For the Cotija-Crusted Quesadillas
Ingredients:
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese (8 ounces)
2 large jalepeno chiles, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup grated cotija cheese (1 ounce) (You can substitute a good quality grated parmesan but I really prefer the cotija.)
2 tsp ancho chili powder
Charred Corn Relish (recipe follows)
Smoked Red Pepper Sauce (recipe follows)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 deg F
Place 8 of the tortillas on a flat surface and divide, in order, the Monterey Jack, jalapeños, and basil among the tortillas. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stack the tortillas to make four 2-layer tortillas and top each with one of the remaining 4 tortillas. Brush the tops of the tortillas with the oil and sprinkle with the cotija cheese and chile powder.
Transfer the tortillas to a baking sheet (you may need 2) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tortillas are lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted.
To serve: Cut into quarters and top each quarter with a generous amount of the corn relish and drizzle on the red pepper sauce.
For the Roasted Corn Relish
Ingredients:
4 ears fresh corn
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 deg F. Cut the kernels from the cobs and place in baking dish. Toss the corn with 3 tbsp canola oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roasted in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until tender but not mushy. Remove form oven and let cool slightly.
Combine the corn, vinegar, honey and basil in a large bowl. Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving.
For the Red Pepper Chile Sauce
Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 small red onion, crossly chopped
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chipotle chile puree (can find this at Whole Foods Market)
Kosher salty and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
Directions:
Turn the oven to broil. Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and broil, continuously watching and turning sides. When all skins of the peppers are blackened and charred remove form the oven and set aside to cool. (Be careful not to over-blacken or you will burn through the entire flesh of the pepper.)
Once cooled peel the blackened skin off the pepper, remove the core and the seeds and cut the flesh of the pepper into strips and place in the blender. Add the onion, garlic, vinegar, honey, mustard, and chipotle puree to the blender, season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified. Transfer to bowl.
Recipe by Bobby Flay