Tom Patterson's Recipe

Deluxe Crab Quesadillas

Category: Recipes

Serving Size : 12
SALSA:
4 tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 cup minced fresh coriander leaves
1 jalapeño chile or hot pepper
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

GUACAMOLE:
1 fresh Italian plum tomato
1 jalapeño chile pepper -- fresh or pickled
1 lime
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves -- (optional)
1 avocado
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

QUESADILLAS:
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, (about 4 cups) -- shredded
6 jalapeño chile peppers
6 ounces butter
12 flour tortillas (8-inch)
1 pound fresh crabmeat
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

PREPARATION:
For the salsa, seed and chop the tomatoes. Mince the garlic, onion, and
coriander. Seed and mince the jalapeño. In a bowl, mix together
tomatoes, garlic, onion, coriander, and jalapeño, and season to taste
with salt and pepper. Put half of the mixture in the bowl of a food
processor and purée. Return puréed mixture to bowl with remaining salsa
and blend well. This can be made a few hours ahead.

For the Guacamole, peel, seed and mince the tomato. Mince the jalapeño.
Squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from the lime. Chop the coriander. Peel the
avocado. In a bowl, mash avocado with a potato masher or a fork. It
shouldn't be perfectly smooth. Combine avocado, tomato, jalapeño, juice,
and coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper. Press plastic
wrap on surface of guacamole if making ahead.

Shred the cheese. Cut jalapeños into thin slices.

Recipe can be made to this point a couple of hours ahead.

COOKING AND SERVING:
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in frying pan over medium heat. Put 1
flour tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with 1/6 of the crabmeat. Season
with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/6 of the cheese. Lay another
tortilla on top and cook gently, turning once, until cheese begins to
melt, about 5 minutes total. Repeat with remaining tortillas, melting 2
tablespoons of butter for each quesadilla.

Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Put 3 wedges on each plate and
garnish with jalapeños, Salsa, and Guacamole.