Soufflé Of Huitlacoche Corn Truffle And Squash Blossom Recipes

CORN TRUFFLE (HUITLACOCHE) QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and epazote and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir corn truffles into onion mixture; cook and stir until truffle liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and keep warm.
• Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot. Moisten both sides of two tortillas with water and place them, stacked together, onto the hot griddle; cook until the bottom tortilla is crisp, about 2 minutes. Flip the stacked tortillas and cook the other tortilla until crisp, about 2 minutes. Separate the two tortillas; place them separately, uncooked side down, onto the hot griddle. Cover the crisp side of one tortilla with 1/5 of the Oaxaca cheese; place 1/5 of the corn truffle mixture over the cheese, then lay the crisp side of the second tortilla on top to cover the truffle mix.
• Cook, turning once, until both tortillas are crisp and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes; repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, and corn truffle mixture. Cut each quesadilla into four wedges to serve.

SOUFFLé OF HUITLACOCHE - CORN TRUFFLE AND SQUASH BLOSSOM

Steps:

• For the huitlacoche: Remove the mushroom from the cob and chop it roughly and set aside with the squash/pumpkin blossoms.
• Heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until transparent.
• Add the huitlacoche and the blossoms along with the chiles, epazote and salt.
• Let simmer over a medium flame until the liquid of the huitlacoche and the blossoms has evaporated.
• Cover and store the mixture for one hour in the refrigerator and correct seasoning if necessary.
• For the souffle: Butter and flour a 2 quart baking or soufflé dish; set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir constantly with a whisk over medium heat for two to three minutes.
• Add the cold milk.
• Season with salt, cayenne and nutmeg; stir until mixture is smooth and thick.
• Remove from heat and cool slightly.
• Combine egg yolks with the creme fraiche and beat them into the flour and milk mixture.
• Stir in the huitlacoche and squash/pumpkin blossoms along with the cheese until well blended.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared soufflé or baking dish.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 30 minutes.
• Check the consistency by using a toothpick to assure its proper baking. (Tooth pick should come out clean when done).
• Serve immediately.

HUITLACOCHE - MEXICAN CORN TRUFFLE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan.
• Add the onion and garlic and fry gently until translucent - about 3 minutes.
• Add the poblano strips and fry for an additional minute.
• Add the huitlacoche and salt, cover the pan and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan from time to time for about 15 minutes.
• The fungus should be tender, retaining some moisture, but not soft and mushy.
• Stir in the epazote and cook uncovered for another 2 minutes.
• NOTE: If the huitlacoche is too dry, sprinkle on 1/4 cup water before covering; if it is too juicy, remove the lid before the end of the cooking time and reduce liquid over higher heat.

TORTILLAS WITH MEXICAN CORN TRUFFLES - CHALUPAS DE HUITLACOCHE

Steps:

• To make tortillas: Combine tortilla flour and water in a large bowl and knead with your hands until a uniform dough forms, about 1 minute.
• Pinch off enough dough to form a 3/4" ball. (Dough should be moist but not sticky when formed into a ball. If necessary, knead a little more tortilla flour or water into dough.)
• Form remaining dough into 3/4-inch balls, transfer to a plate, and cover with plastic wrap until needed to prevent drying out.
• Very lightly oil comal (griddle or pizza pan), then heat over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes.
• Press 1 ball of dough between plastic squares in tortilla press to form a 3-inch tortilla (about 1/16 inch thick).
• Peel off 1 plastic square, then, holding tortilla in your palm, carefully peel off other square and gently transfer tortilla to comal/griddle.
• Cook until edges just loosen from comal and small brown spots appear on underside, 30 to 45 seconds.
• Turn over and cook, pressing flat with a metal spatula if necessary, until brown spots appear on underside, about 45 seconds.
• Turn over again and cook, pressing down with spatula, until tortilla inflates slightly (this may not always happen), 10 to 15 seconds.
• Wrap tortilla in folded tea towel to keep warm and moist.
• Make more tortillas, stacking them in the tea towel.
• Make topping: Heat lard in a large skillet; cook garlic, chili, and 1/2 cup onion until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add huitlacoche and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until heated through (about 5 minutes).
• Assemble chalupas in batches just before serving: Warm remaining 2 tablespoons lard (if using) to liquefy.
• Heat comal/griddle (or pizza pan) over medium heat until hot; heat 8 mini tortillas, brushing tops lightly with some of lard (about 3/4 teaspoon each).
• While heating tortillas (1 to 2 minutes total), top each with about 1/2 teaspoon salsa, a sprinkling of reserved raw onion, and a rounded teaspoon huitlacoche mixture.
• Transfer chalupas to a platter, then sprinkle with queso fresco and serve immediately.
• Keep griddle warm and repeat procedure when ready to serve the next batch of chalupas.

HUITLACOCHE AND GOAT CHEESE CRISP WITH ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour oil into heavy skillet and saute the onions over medium heat until translucent and tender; add next three ingredients and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add the huitlacoche and the heavy cream and cook to reduce the cream completely.
• Take off of the burner; stir in the crumbled goat cheese, blending well until melted and allow to cool.
• Spread out a sheet of phyllo dough and brush thoroughly with melted butter, using a pastry brush.
• Repeat 3 times, stacking the sheets one on top of the other.
• Preheat oven to 350F and butter a baking pan.
• Spoon the huitlacoche filling on the phyllo sheets, lengthwise.
• Seal the short ends and roll to form a strudel.
• Place strudel on prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• While strudel is baking, saute the onions in 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until soft.
• Add the garlic and cook until soft.
• Add the zucchini blossoms and cook until wilted.
• Add the chicken stock and cook until volume is reduced by half.
• Add the cream and reduce over medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and blend thoroughly.
• Add the remaining melted butter slowly until mixture is well blended.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cut the strudel into slices about 2 x 2 pieces (or whatever size you wish) and garnish each with 2 tablespoons of zucchini blossom sauce.

SQUASH BLOSSOM FRITTATA

Steps:

• Pick 3 to 4 squash blossoms and 1 or 2 baby yellow or green summer squash per person: rinse blossoms well and drain on paper towels.
• Beat 4 eggs with a little milk; add fresh chopped parsley and chives, if using.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• In a nonstick pan, saute a little butter and cook 2 green onions and thinly sliced baby squash just until soft; then QUICKLY saute the blossoms for about 30 seconds and remove from pan.
• Pour egg mixture into pan(Skillet) that can be put under broiler, sprinkle and arrange the onions, squash and blossoms on top and cook over low to medium heat until almost set. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese and put under broiler until lightly puffed and browned, enjoy.