Huitlacoche Mexican Corn Truffle Food

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.

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.

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.