Chicken and Goat’s Cheese Quesadilla

At its base level a quesadilla is simply a grilled tortilla, mostly with melted cheese inside; I use the term 'mostly' as although Quesa is in the title this is not always the case.

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Cuisine: Mexican, North America

Courses: Mains

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Filling

4 large flour tortillas
315 g soft goat's cheese (crumbled)
10 g coriander leaves (chopped)
3 chicken breasts (diced)
1 white onion (finely diced)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs (whisked)
2 tbsp jalapeños (sliced)
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp melted butter

Persian Tahini Sauce

220 g of sesame seeds
Up to 5 tbsp olive oil (depending on your desired consistency)
½ tsp Ras el hanout

Salsa verde

65 g flat leaf parsley leaves
25 g basil leaves
1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
2 tsp capers (drained and roughly chopped)
125 ml olive oil
1 lemon (juiced)
pinch sea salt

Instructions

1
We'll begin with the Tahini sauce. Heat a cast iron, or heavy skillet over a medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Stir constantly until they begin to turn golden brown for the maximum flavour. Burnt sesame seeds are only good for the bin.
2
Once toasted, cool for a few minutes then add them to a blender. Start by adding 2 tbsp of olive oil. Combine the mixture into a paste, scraping down the sides if needed, as you go along. Add more olive oil if required. We're looking for a slightly less stiff consistency to hummus. Set aside and leave to cool.
3
For the salsa verde, add the parsley, basil, garlic and capers to a blender and pulse. Add the olive oil and half the lemon along with the salt, add more lemon if required and stir well.
4
To continue in reverse order, time for the main event. Add the olive oil to the skillet and lightly fry the onion, as it becomes translucent, yet still retains a slight crunch add the chicken, stir continuously for 2 minutes. Add the Jalapeños, black pepper and cayenne pepper, continue to stir for several minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Check the largest pieces of diced chicken are fully cooked before transferring the filling. A clean probe thermometer in a thick piece is more reliable than colour or elapsed time alone.
5
Remove the filling to a separate bowl and pour in the 2 whisked eggs allowing them to fill the base of the skillet, do not stir. Whilst still slightly moist remove to a plate.
If serving the egg slightly moist, use British Lion eggs or another egg produced under an equivalent salmonella-control scheme; otherwise cook the egg until set throughout.
6
Lightly oil the skillet with the melted butter using a pastry brush and add 1 tortilla, as it lightly browns continue to add 1/4 of all the following, filling, cheese, egg and coriander.
7
Gently fold the tortilla, similar to an envelope style, brush the outside with more melted butter and flip, you have just created a quesadilla.
8
Lightly brush what has now become the top (with the seam on the base) to finish browning and assisting the cheese to melt for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
Keep the heat moderate enough for the cheese to melt and the filling to become piping hot without burning the tortilla.
9
Serve accordingly.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories 686.18kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 36.05g56%
Saturated Fat 16.80g85%
Cholesterol 81.84mg28%
Sodium 836.94mg35%
Potassium 51.74mg2%
Total Carbohydrate 35.18g12%
Dietary Fiber 2.68g11%
Sugars 3.45g
Protein 51.58g104%

Vitamin C 0.85 mg
Calcium 15.60 mg
Iron 0.50 mg
Vitamin D 0.44 IU

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

The use of goat's cheese works beautifully with the Tahini Sauce. The salsa verde adds a gorgeous citrus bite to the overall dish. There are, of course, a wealth of additional fillings you could add or switch out.