Quesillo

Ingredients

Cheese

• 400 gquesillo, or fresh mozzarella-style stretched curd cheese

Pickled onion

• 2large onions, sliced paper-thin
• 150 mlwhite vinegar
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• a few whole chillies, if wanted

Cream

• 250 mlcrema, or thick sour cream thinned with milk
• 1/2 tspsalt

Tortillas

• 4large maize tortillas

To serve

• in a plastic bag, as at the stalls
• a cold drink

Directions

1. Slice the onions as thinly as you possibly can. A mandoline gives the paper-thin slices this needs. Put the sliced onion in a bowl. Warm the vinegar with the salt and sugar until dissolved.
2. Let the vinegar cool completely. Pour it over the sliced onion. Pickling it properly takes about an hour.
3. Add whole chillies now if you want it hot. Leave it at room temperature for at least an hour. It should still have some crunch.
4. Season the cream with a little salt. Heat a dry comal or heavy pan over a medium-high heat. Lay a tortilla on it for about thirty seconds a side. It should soften and take a few dark spots.
5. Stack the warmed tortillas in a cloth as you go. A cold tortilla cracks the moment you roll it.
6. Cut or tear the quesillo into thick strips. Some stalls warm it briefly so it softens. Lay a warm tortilla out flat first. Put a generous handful of cheese down the centre.
7. Pile pickled onion over the cheese. Squeeze the onion out first so it does not soak the tortilla. Pour cream generously over the whole thing. Roll the tortilla up around the filling. Serving it is done immediately.

Technique

• Slice the onion paper-thin, since thick onion overwhelms the mild cheese.
• Warm the tortillas or they will crack as you roll them.
• Squeeze the pickled onion before it goes in, or the tortilla soaks through.

Substitutions

• Fresh mozzarella or young Oaxaca cheese in place of quesillo.
• Thinned sour cream in place of Nicaraguan crema.

Variations

• With extra chilli in the pickled onion.
• Made with a wheat tortilla, which some stalls offer.
• Served open on a plate rather than rolled.

History

Soft cheese with onion and cream rolled in a tortilla, sold at stands in La Paz Centro and Nagarote on the road to Leon.

Frequently asked questions

What is Quesillo?

Quesillo is a street food from Nicaragua: soft cheese and pickled onion in a tortilla with cream. Soft cheese with onion and cream rolled in a tortilla, sold at stands in La Paz Centro and Nagarote on the road to Leon.

How long does Quesillo take to make?

Quesillo takes 20 min plus 1 hour pickling of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 quesillos. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Quesillo?

Yes, within limits. Fresh mozzarella or young Oaxaca cheese in place of quesillo. Thinned sour cream in place of Nicaraguan crema.

What is the most important thing to get right in Quesillo?

Pile pickled onion over the cheese. Squeeze the onion out first so it does not soak the tortilla. Pour cream generously over the whole thing. Roll the tortilla up around the filling. Serving it is done immediately.