Matcha Quesadilla with Black Sesame Crust
A Japanese × Salvadoran tea cake: grassy matcha and salty cheese in a green rice-flour crumb, finished with a nutty crust of black sesame.
Method
Preheat the oven to 170 °C and line a 15×10 cm tin with baking paper. The temperature is a little lower than usual to keep the matcha green.
ovenSift the matcha into a small bowl, add the hot water and whisk with a small whisk or spoon into a smooth, lump-free paste. Added dry, matcha stays as green specks in the batter.
Add in this stepMatcha powder 1½ tspHot water (about 80 °C) 1½ tsp
Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs for until paler, then add the crema, milk, grated cheese, melted butter and matcha paste and mix until evenly pale green.
Add in this stepUnsalted butter 45 gCaster sugar 70 gEggs 1Salvadoran crema or sour cream 100 gMilk 30 mlParmigiano Reggiano, finely grated 40 g
Combine the rice flour, baking powder and salt, add to the batter, stir until no dry flour shows and leave for .
Add in this stepRice flour (regular) 80 gBaking powder 1 tspSalt 1 pinch
Pour into the tin, level the top and scatter the black sesame evenly. Bake in the oven for , until the edges are lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean. If the top starts to brown, cover with foil to keep the green colour.
Add in this stepBlack sesame seeds 1½ tsp
ovenCool in the tin for , then lift out and slice. Lovely with green tea, roasted hojicha or a latte.
Cook's tip
Even for baking, choose a matcha with a vivid green colour; yellowish matcha bakes to a dull khaki. Parmesan is used because its saltiness sharpens the matcha's bitterness against the sugar. For a sweeter cake, fold in a handful of white chocolate chips.
Cooking it at camp
Bake it in a lidded cast-iron Dutch oven on a trivet, with one-third of the coals underneath and two-thirds on the lid. Matcha fades easily with heat, so keep the fire moderate and check often with a skewer. Baked at home, it stays moist for 2 days.