Description
Ina Garten’s Smoked Salmon Quesadillas blend creamy cheese, delicate salmon, and crisp tortillas into a gourmet Mexican-inspired appetizer. Quick and elegant, this dish elevates simple ingredients into a sophisticated snack you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 ounces (85 grams) thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped
- 3 ounces (85 grams) grated Monterey Jack or yellow Cheddar cheese
- 6 (8-inch or 20 cm) flour tortillas
Supplementary Ingredients:
- ½ cup (50 grams) chopped scallions (white and green parts from 2 scallions)
- 2 tablespoons (6 grams) minced fresh dill (plus extra for serving)
- ¾ cup (180 grams) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Seasoning and Finishing Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (115 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 to 3 ounces (55 to 85 grams) salmon roe (optional)
Instructions
- In a spacious mixing bowl, thoroughly blend softened cream cheese, finely chopped scallions, flaked smoked salmon, fresh chopped dill, grated aged cheese, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until the filling achieves a smooth, well-integrated consistency.
- Arrange three large tortillas on a clean, flat work surface. Distribute the salmon-cheese mixture evenly across each tortilla, ensuring complete and consistent coverage from edge to edge.
- Carefully place the remaining tortillas on top of the spread mixture, gently pressing down to secure the layers and create a compact quesadilla structure.
- Whisk together tangy sour cream and fragrant lime zest in a small serving bowl, creating a bright, zesty accompaniment. Set the dip aside until serving time.
- Melt unsalted butter and use a pastry brush to coat one side of a quesadilla with a thin, even layer of fat.
- Preheat a 10-inch (25 centimeters) sauté pan over medium heat. Carefully transfer the buttered quesadilla, butter-side down, into the heated pan.
- Brush the exposed side of the tortilla with additional melted butter. Allow the quesadilla to cook for approximately 2 minutes, watching for golden-brown edges and a slight blistering texture.
- Using a wide spatula, delicately flip the quesadilla and cook the opposite side for an additional 2 minutes until uniformly crisp and golden.
- Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board. Repeat the buttering and cooking process with the remaining quesadillas.
- Slice each quesadilla into 4 to 6 triangular wedges. Plate the warm quesadillas alongside the prepared lime-zest sour cream and optional garnish of luxurious salmon roe.
Notes
- Softened cream cheese creates a velvety smooth filling without pesky lumps, guaranteeing a creamy texture in every bite.
- Golden-brown exteriors come from buttering both tortilla sides, which prevents sticking and adds a delicious crispy crunch.
- Preheating the sauté pan ensures quick, even cooking and transforms ordinary quesadillas into perfectly seared delights.
- Strategic batch cooking prevents overcrowding, allowing each quesadilla to develop a beautiful crisp without steaming.
- Careful spreading of the salmon and cheese mixture guarantees balanced flavors and consistent texture throughout the quesadilla.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 quesadilla (of 6)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Sodium: 690 milligrams
- Fat: 24 grams
- Saturated Fat: 11 grams
- Carbohydrates: 25 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 14 grams
- Cholesterol: 85 milligrams