Tequeños are the quintessential Venezuelan snack: thin, crispy dough wrapped around white cheese that melts inside. They are a must-have at any party, family gathering, or birthday.
Time: 30 minutes · Yields: 20 units · Difficulty: easy
INGREDIENTS
500 g all-purpose flour
250 g hard white cheese (telita or guayanés)
100 g butter
A pinch of salt
Water, as needed
Oil for frying
PREPARATION
Knead the flour with the butter, salt, and water until you get a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Let it rest for ten minutes.
Roll it out with a rolling pin until it is thin, about half a centimeter thick, and cut it into strips about two centimeters wide.
Cut the cheese into finger-sized sticks. Wrap each stick with a strip of dough in a spiral, sealing the ends well so that the cheese does not come out when frying.
Heat plenty of oil and fry the tequeños until golden on all sides, about three minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.
Serve freshly made, while the cheese is still melted. Accompany with pink sauce or guasacaca.
TIP
If you prepare them in advance, you can freeze them raw, already wrapped, and fry them directly from the freezer when needed.
DON'T HAVE TIME TO PREPARE THEM?
At CoCo, we have frozen tequeños ready to fry, in various flavors: classic cheese, cheese with bacon, sweet corn, plantain with cheese, and vegan. From the freezer to the table in three minutes.
I'm Alex, a Venezuelan in Amsterdam and founder of CoCo Mercado Latino. I bring to the Netherlands the products we grew up with.
I cook at @alexcooks.ams and bring the product at @cocomercadolatino.