My husband and I were in Mexico City a while back, and the food definitely did not disappoint. There were many familiar ingredients, but also many new ones to try, like huitlacoche, also known as corn smut! I’d read about huitlacoche years ago but never previously had the opportunity to try it.
These were two different servings of huitlacoche I was served – fairly plain to me, but still fascinating to finally experience. The first, on the left, was called a sope, but had a lid. Nicely presented topped with a zucchini flower, but plain tasting. The second serving were two rolled up tortillas filled with huitlacoche. I opened one up to inspect and there were no other ingredients that I could identify.
So what exactly is huitlacoche? It is an edible fungus that grows on corn. The first person to try this odd, mushroom-looking stuff must have been starving! Here is a photo I found online showing huitlacoche growing on a cob of corn. When cooked, the fungus turns grey-brown-black. The photo on the right is what we used at a cooking class.
Huitlacoche is considered a unique delicacy, like the truffle equivalent of Mexico, but there’s not much to it in my opinion other than the thrill of finally eating it. It has a very mild mushroom-like taste and appearance.
The popularity of huitlacoche has increased in the U.S. over the years, despite the fact that this food stems from a disease! But most likely because of the fact that it’s plant-based. I can definitely see it as a hearty meat substitute in stews and pastas, and certainly enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas.
These quesadillas were fun to make at home, and were better than what I had in Mexico City!
Huitlacoche Quesadillas
Makes 3 – 8” quesadillas
1 – 13.4 ounce (380g) can huitlacoche
2 teaspoons avocado oil or other mild oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 – 4 ounce can chopped chile peppers, somewhat drained
1/2 lime, squeezed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, divided
6 – 8” white flour tortillas
3 cups grated Mexican cheese – Oaxaca or Chihuahua
For serving:
Salsa
Crema
Guacamole
Begin by drained the huitlacoche in a colander, rinsing slightly. Then place on paper towels and let “dry” for about an hour.
In a 10” skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally; browning isn’t necessary. Stir in the garlic and after one minute, add the huitlacoche and chopped chile peppers. Stir a few times more to evaporate any excess liquid, if necessary.
Remove from the heat and season with the lime juice, cumin and salt. Place mixture in a bowl and wipe out the skillet. Or, grab another skillet.
Place one tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s slightly browned place one tortilla in the skillet. Add 1/2 cup of cheese and spread evenly over the tortilla, then place one third of the huitlacoche mixture on top, Cover with another 1/2 cup of cheese and top with the second tortilla.
Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low. After about 3 minutes, you should be able to use a firm spatula to flip the quesadilla. Replace the lid and finish the melting process over low heat, about 5 minutes.
Slide the quesadilla on a a flat plate and cook the remaining quesadillas. If you need a primer of sorts on how I make quesadillas, check my recipe out here.
Give the quesadillas about 5 minutes of resting time before cutting into wedges with a sharp knife. Serve with desired condiments.
I use butter when I make quesadillas because I like how it promotes browning. Any other fat would work.
Instead of green chile peppers, diced de-seeded tomatoes and/or corn would be good as well. And put cilantro in the filling!