Huauzontles – battered huauzontle bundles with cheese in tomato broth

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 1 kgHuauzontle
• 5Tomatoes
• ½Yellow onion
• 1 cloveGarlic
• ≈ 500 mlWater
• 1 tbspRapeseed oil, for the broth
• to tasteSalt
• 250 gOaxaca cheese, cut into strips
• 4Eggs, at room temperature
• 4 tbspPlain flour
• 4 tbspRapeseed oil, for frying

On the side

• 8Corn tortillas

Method

1. Prepare the huauzontles: cut away the thick stalks and large leaves, leaving the bud clusters on a short piece of stem. Wash them well.
2. Cook the clusters in boiling salted water for 8 minutes, until tender, and drain.
3. Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes with the onion, garlic and water.
4. Heat the oil in a wide pan, pour in the blended tomato (careful, it spits) and season with salt. Leave the broth to simmer over a low heat while you make the bundles.
5. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out of the huauzontles. Take a handful of clusters, put a strip of cheese in the middle and press them into a compact bundle. Make 8.
6. Separate the eggs. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the yolks one at a time.
7. Heat oil about 1 cm deep in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Dust the bundles with flour, dip them in the egg batter and fry for 2 minutes per side, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
8. Lay the bundles in the tomato broth and let them simmer for 3 minutes.
9. Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan and serve two bundles each in shallow bowls with plenty of broth.

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