Plantain and Refried Bean Quesadillas

Makes 6 to 8 quesadillas Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Can be assembled ahead, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen, tightly covered, for up to 3 months

Although quesadillas get their name from the words queso, Spanish for “cheese,” and illas, from the word tortillas, in Mexico not all quesadillas are made with both—or either—ingredients. In fact, the word quesadilla simply refers to its turnover shape.

In this traditional version from the Gulf of Mexico, refried beans are tucked into a dough made from plantains and fried until crisp. Carmen Titita, one of Mexico’s leading cooks and restaurateurs, does an excellent version at El Bajio, her restaurant in Mexico City.

This recipe is very easy, and it’s worth making a big batch, as you can freeze the quesadillas for months and then cook them as you please. I like to serve them with Charred Tomato Salsa or Pickled Ancho Chile Salsa.

  1. To make the dough: Place the unpeeled plantains in a large pot of boiling water and simmer, partially covered, until they are soft to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the water with tongs and let them cool slightly, until they can be handled.
  2. Trim off the ends of the plantains. Make a lengthwise slit in the skin of each one, peel off the skin, and slice. Place in a blender or food processor, along with the sugar, and process until smooth. If the dough seems too soft and runny, add some flour to thicken it a bit. (You can also let the dough sit in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to make it more manageable.)
  3. To make the quesadillas: Meanwhile, cut two circles about the size of the tortilla press plates (or at least 6 inches in diameter if using a rolling pin) out of thin plastic bags, such as produce bags from the grocery store.
  4. Roll a piece of the dough in the palm of your hand into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place one of the plastic circles on the bottom of the tortilla press and place the ball on top. Place the other plastic circle on top of the ball and clamp down on the press to make a flat disk about ¼ inch thick, jiggling the press a little as you get to the bottom (this makes for a rounder tortilla). Alternatively, you can place the ball between plastic sheets or parchment paper and roll out with a rolling pin.
  5. Remove the top piece of plastic and place a generous tablespoon of the refried beans in the center of the dough. Use the bottom piece of plastic to fold the dough over the filling like a turnover. Firmly pinch the edges of the turnover together. Gently lift the quesadilla off the plastic and set aside. Continue with the remainder of the dough and beans.
  6. Heat 1 inch of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes. Dip the tip of a quesadilla into the oil; if the oil is ready, it will bubble around the edges but not be too wild. Fry the quesadillas a few at a time until golden and lightly crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook the quesadillas on the other side, about 2 more minutes. They should be soft and tender. Don’t let them brown too much, or they will burn. Drain on paper towels.
  7. Serve with your favorite salsa.

MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: To make this dough, you need slightly underripe plantains (see the sidebar). Unlike bananas, plantains are still underripe when they are yellow and only fully ripe when they are jet-black. For this dough, you want them to be yellow, when the sugars are starting to come out but the plantains aren’t too soft.

Plantain and Refried Bean Quesadillas