Destination
Antigua
The story
Tortillas con queso is one of the simplest and most satisfying dishes in Guatemala's street food repertoire: a fresh corn tortilla, patted by hand from wet masa on a hot mitad (Guatemalan comal), stuffed with a thick slab of white cheese (queso fresco or queso blanco) folded in half, cooked another minute per side until the cheese melts and the tortilla crisps at the edges. Served on a small plate with a spoon of chirmol (Guatemalan salsa) on the side. Sold at every market in the country by women who make hundreds a day.
Method
If starting from masa harina: mix the flour, warm water and salt in a bowl until it forms a soft dough like Play-Doh. Rest 10 minutes. If using fresh masa, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before shaping.
Divide the dough into 8 golf-ball-sized pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. Press each ball flat between two sheets of plastic (a slit freezer bag works) using a tortilla press or the base of a heavy pan, into a disc about 12cm across and 3mm thick.
Heat a heavy dry pan or comal over medium-high heat until very hot (a drop of water should sizzle immediately and vanish).
Peel a tortilla off the plastic and lay it flat on the hot comal. Cook 60 seconds without moving.
Flip the tortilla. Immediately place a slab of cheese on one half. Fold the other half over to close. Press gently.
Cook 90 seconds per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the outside is deep gold with dark spots and the cheese has fully melted inside.
Lift onto a warm plate. Serve immediately with a spoon of chirmol and (if desired) ají picante on the side. Eat while hot.
Tips
- Fresh masa is worth the trip to a Latin grocer. Fresh corn masa (masa nixtamalizada) has a specific fragrance and chew that even the best masa harina can't quite match. Sold in tubs at Colombian, Guatemalan and Mexican grocers.
- The comal must be dry and hot. No oil, no butter. Cheese-filled tortillas need to cook on a bone-dry hot surface to develop the classic char marks and crisp exterior. Oiled comals give you a fried tortilla, which is a different dish (quesadilla frita).
- Queso fresco, not melting cheese. Guatemalan quesadillas use queso fresco which softens without melting into a puddle. Mozzarella or cheddar melt too much and change the character.
- Press gently, don't flatten. A gentle press with a spatula helps the two halves seal and the cheese melt evenly. Aggressive pressing squeezes the cheese out the sides.
- Serve immediately. Tortillas con queso stiffen as they cool. Cook and serve one at a time (or in small batches), straight from the comal to the plate.
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