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Huizontle Cheese Balls Recipe

Huizontle is a Mexican specialty green vegetable eaten steamed, cooked or fried like spinach. Young leaves have a mild spinach-like flavour and are eaten as a spinach substitute. The seeds can be ground into a flour and baked like the better-known Andean grain quinoa. But huizontle is best known for the delicious fried cheese balls which are featured on the menus of the better Mexican restaurants.

We are grateful to Martha Roggeband for this Salvadorean version of Huizontle Cheese Balls.

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lbs) fresh huizontle flower clusters
350 g (12 oz) mozzarella cheese
6 medium eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 kg (2 lbs) tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 cup oil
salt to taste

Directions

Huizontle:
Steam on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
Quench in cold water to stop cooking.
Roll the huizontle into medium-sized balls (8 to 10 balls)
Slice the cheese.
Open and stuff the centre of each ball with cheese.
Close and roll lightly in flour. Set aside on a plate.
Separate the eggs. Beat the whites into a foam then beat in the yolks little by little.
Preheat about one cup of oil in a frying pan over medium low heat.
When the oil is hot, quickly dip the balls in the beaten eggs to coat them and fry in the oil.
When done, place the balls on a paper towel to drain the oil.

Salsa:
Blend the tomatoes in a blender together with the onion and garlic.
Preheat a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil.
Pour in the tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Add the chicken bouillon and salt to taste.
Add the huizontle balls and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat.

Serve with rice, beans and tortillas.

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