I've asked people I know, "Have you ever heard or tasted of 'huazontles?' Almost 99% of the time I hear "No" as an answer and I start to think, "How have these people never heard of such delicious thing?!" It's not that I get frustrated... Well, I just wonder, that's all, how they've come to miss out on such a delicious plate.
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| Fresh huazontles... |
Huazontles are a plant. Think of their texture much like a broccoli, but instead of them being short and fat, huazontles are long and a bit narrow. Just like broccoli, to be able to make them in a really common recipe which I am about to go over in a little bit, you must boil this plant in salt and water; enough water to cover the tops of these.
Probably the main reason why most people I've met have not heard of or tasted these delicious plants is because the recipe comes mostly from central Mexico, such as Tlaxcala, the state of Mexico, and south of Mexico City, which is where my family is from. Most of the people I know are from the outer states, like Durango, Jalisco, Michoacan, Sonora, Sinaloa, etc. The only dishes we all probably agree on are Mole, Chilaquiles, Birria, and Chiles Rellenos, which are made about the same way these huazontles are made. Just like any recipe, many people have their own interpretation, but I think you'll like the way these turn out.
Just in case, I live in Los Angeles, not East Los Angeles. I honestly do not know if they sell these in East L.A, and I don't know of any other places where you might find them. If you were able to find them in a big store such as Food 4 Less or any other place not being a major store, feel free to say where you got them. In my case, I was able to find these huazontles at the Alameda Swap Meet. Now, these plants are not found year round! These are mainly found in times of Cuaresma or at the end of the year before or during Christmas.
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| Now, to get these babies started! |
Alike chiles rellenos, the huazontles have to be dipped in batter. Now, above I stated we had to boil the huazontles and to know when they are ready, their color will change much like the broccoli and they will be soft. When my mother and I make them, we let them sit out to cool down, specially if we know we're not going to make them that same day. In that case, if you prefer on making them a different time, after these have cooled down, take them out of the water and seal them in a bag and stick them in the freezer, taking them out ahead of time the day of preparation. If you want to do them the same day you cook them, let them cool down, or you could go with the tempering method done to some green veggies which is, having a bowl with water and ice to stop the cooking. Remember that if you are going to do this, make sure they are nicely colored and soft.
As they are draining, in a bowl with no residue, crack some eggs and only empty the egg whites, separating the yolk. The day I helped my mom I used 8 eggs, beating 4 at a time in separate bowls, eventually unifying them. (A quick tip for fluffy egg whites: Use a lemon/ lime and squirt a couple tears of juice on the bowl. With the lemon itself, spread the juice around the bowl and if there's extra juice, pour it out. Then add the eggs whites.)
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| Add egg yolks after egg white are nice and fluffy. |
Beat the eggs until completely white and fluffy. To know your whites are ready, try turning the bowl over slowly, and if the mix does not come rushing
out on top of you, and sticks to it's place, you've made fluffy egg whites. Now, take the egg yolks you separated and add them to the egg whites. You can beat them in or just integrate them with a spatula.
While your huazontles are cooling down, you must get the cheese ready! What are some huazontles without their cheese? You can use either Queso Fresco or Queso Oaxaca, which is much like Mozzarella. Cut these in about 1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 inches long.
Take enough plants to form a base, squeezing them together like maza. Insert a slice of cheese and close the plants together. Try to make them as beefy as you can... about the same puffiness as a chile relleno. Keep doing this until all of your huazontles are completely gone. Remember to squeeze them tight enough so they don't break down while passing them through the batter. If they accidentally do break, just scoop them out with a fork or spoon to fry.
When you've used all your plants and have formed them into shape, we must pass them through flour. While or before doing this, grab a pan that will be not too deep, but deep enough to put oil to heat up to be able to fry these huazontles. While the oil is heating up, pass the plants through the flour. Once your oil is hot enough, beat your egg mixture once again so the fluffiness won't go down and dip your floured huazontle, covering it thoroughly. Then, passing it to the oil, drop it carefully to start frying. You will notice how the eggs will rise in size, and honestly, they smell good! Mmmmm...
Keep doing this until you have fried all the huazontles.
To give them even more flavor, and honestly, how I believe they taste the best and are the best, you must prepare a tomato soup. Yup, the same used as making red rice, which, would go perfectly with this. Any who, to make this, put about 4-5 round tomatoes or if using the thinner, longer tomatoes, 8-10, washed, in a pan, along with half or more than half of an onion and a couple of garlic teeth, 2-3. Add salt or a spoonful of
chicken flavored bouillon. (I use Knorr.) Add a cup of water and boil this.
After boiling, pass the mixture to your blender, handling this carefully for it is boiling hot. Liquefy.
While the tomatoes are being liquefied, grab a pot and start heating it up. If you think your tomatoes are ready, turn the blender off and uncover it, allowing the heat to come out. Once you pot is hot enough, add a bit of oil to the bottom, and carefully add your tomato sauce, straining it while adding it to the pot. Be very careful because the pot will be hot and so will the oil. Adding the liquid will make steam and you could burn yourself! Allow the tomato to cook, adding and additional 2 cups of water to the sauce and more bouillon to your liking.
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| The sauce will be a bit less reddish after boiling and less thick. |
After the sauce has started to boil, add the huazontles, making room for them, and letting them cook/ heat up. You can turn off the dish when you feel the huazontles have gotten enough seasoning in the salt. Now, it is time to take one out and try it.
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| Your final product! |
This is how your huazontles should look like. If you notice, the plants have thickish, long stems on them, which are holding the little round balls which make them what they are. When eating these, grab the stems and suck the contents off the stem, pulling it out of your mouth. They should be soft and tasteful.
Enjoy with some tortillas, or alone!
