Queso fundido with chorizo

Ingredients

• 3 large plum tomatoes
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 165g chorizo, skinned and roughly chopped
• 1 small Spanish onion, finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons tequila
• 1 teaspoon tomato purée
• 2 teaspoons roughly chopped oregano
• 125g mozzarella cheese, grated
• 75g Cheddar cheese, grated
• Warm flour tortillas, to serve

Method

Queso fundido is normally made with a melting string cheese from Oaxaca. This recipe uses a mixture of oozing mozzarella and a tasty mature Cheddar, which is baked until melted and then scooped into hot flour tortillas.

The fondue can be made with just cheese, or have a variety of extras sitting on top or under the surface. This recipe is a favourite at Wahaca Mexican restaurant; the slow-cooked chorizo sauce goes amazingly with the gooey cheese.

Preheat the oven 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

With a knife, mark a cross on the bottom of each tomato, just piercing the skin. Cover with boiling water and count to 20. Drain, run under cold water, then peel and dice them into small cubes.

Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil and chorizo. Cook for 5 minutes, letting the chorizo release its fat and breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, celery, garlic and cumin and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper, add the tequila, tomatoes and purée and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated and you are left with a ragu-like chorizo sauce. Finally, add the oregano and check for seasoning.

Spread the mixture in the bottom of a gratin dish. Mix the 2 cheeses together in a bowl, then sprinkle over the chorizo mixture. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. You could also put the gratin dish under the grill if you prefer. Serve with warm tortillas.

Wahaca Mexican Food at Home

Recipes taken from Wahaca – Mexican Food at Home by Thomasina Miers, published by Hodder & Stoughton, £20.

Text © Thomasina Miers, 2012
Photos © Malou Burger, 2012