Tequeños

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gplain flour
• 100 gbutter, softened
• 1egg
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspsugar
• about 180 ml cold water

Cheese

• 600 gqueso blanco duro, firm salty white cheese
• or halloumi, or a firm feta

To seal

• 1egg, beaten

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

To serve

• guasacaca, the Venezuelan avocado sauce
• garlic mayonnaise
• at every party

Directions

1. Use a firm, salty, low-moisture white cheese that softens without running. Queso blanco duro is what Venezuelans use: it goes soft and pliable in the heat but holds its shape rather than liquefying. Cut it into fingers about 7 cm long and 1.5 cm square. Cut them evenly, since uneven pieces make wrapping awkward and leave thin spots in the dough. Pat the pieces completely dry.
2. Rub the butter into the flour, salt and sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the egg and enough cold water to bring it to a firm dough. Keep it firm rather than soft, since it has to be rolled thin and stretched without tearing.
3. Knead it for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead it properly. Rest it, wrapped, for 30 minutes. Now roll it out very thin, about 2 mm.
4. Roll it thin. A thick tequeño is doughy and heavy, and the pleasure is a crisp shell against soft cheese. Cut it into long strips about 2 cm wide. Take a strip and press one end firmly onto the end of a cheese finger. Stretch the dough gently as you wind, which thins it and helps it grip.
5. Pinch the dough closed over each end and press it flat, and check that no cheese is showing anywhere. Brush the seam with beaten egg and press it down. Set them on a tray, not touching. Now chill them for at least an hour, and freezing is better still. Heat the oil to 175°C (345°F).
6. Fry them in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden. Do not crowd the pan, both because it drops the temperature and because a burst tequeño makes the oil foam.
7. Turn them so they colour evenly all round. They should be golden and blistered with the spiral clearly visible. Drain them on a rack rather than paper. Serve them hot, with guasacaca or garlic mayonnaise for dipping.

Technique

• They freeze raw and fry from frozen, which is how most households make them.
• Guasacaca is the Venezuelan avocado and herb sauce and is the standard dip.
• Sweet versions with guava paste are common.

Substitutions

• Halloumi or a firm feta in place of queso blanco duro.
• Ready-made puff pastry, which is a common shortcut and gives a different result.

Variations

• Filled with guava paste.
• Filled with chocolate.
• Baked rather than fried, which is drier.

History

Named for the town of Los Teques; wheat dough wrapped around white cheese and fried, a party staple of 20th-century Caracas.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tequeños?

Tequeños is a snack from Venezuela: fried dough fingers wrapped around melting white cheese, party essential. Named for the town of Los Teques; wheat dough wrapped around white cheese and fried, a party staple of 20th-century Caracas.

How long does Tequeños take to make?

Tequeños takes 1 hr plus 1 hr chilling of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 30. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Tequeños?

Yes, within limits. Halloumi or a firm feta in place of queso blanco duro. Ready-made puff pastry, which is a common shortcut and gives a different result.

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

Use a firm, salty, low-moisture white cheese that softens without running. Queso blanco duro is what Venezuelans use: it goes soft and pliable in the heat but holds its shape rather than liquefying. Cut it into fingers about 7 cm long and 1.5 cm square. Cut them evenly, since uneven pieces make wrapping awkward and leave thin spots in the dough. Pat the pieces completely dry.