Rellenos de Guisquil El Salvador rellenos de guisquil with cheese El Salvad

Rellenos de Güisquil

So excited to teach you how to make authentic Salvadoran Rellenos de Guisquil in tomato gravy. In Mexico, guisquil is known as chayote. Cooked guisquil has a mild flavor, and texture that pairs well with cheese, and the delicious tomato gravy. These days, some people just add can tomato sauce, which is wrong. The tomato gravy recipe goes back at least a century, and the only gravy sauce for all rellenos. Enjoy this classic dish from El Salvador, I learned to make it from my great aunt, tia Juanita. Is one of the recipes in my cookbook, Delicious El Salvador and  in the Spanish edition, El Salvador, Sabores Deliciosos. 

Serves 6 

8 to 10 cups water

3 guisquils (2 to 2½ pounds)

½ pound queso fresco or Monterey Jack or quesillo

     cut into 6 slices (2 x ¼-inch-thick)

1 cup vegetable oil    

4 eggs, separated

3 tablespoons flour (divided)

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

½ cup minced tomato

2 cups water

½ teaspoon ground achiote (annatto) seeds

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

½ cup chopped cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a deep pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Peel the guisquils, add them whole into the boiling water, and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes or until soft. Remove the guisquil from the pot, set aside, and let cool.

Cut each guisquil lengthwise in ¼-inch-thick slices and pick the 12 best even slices. Remove the thin center pit from any slice. Place a slice of cheese in between 2 slices of guisquil and set aside.

In a large saucepan, start heating the oil over a medium flame. Start this now, so the oil can be quickly ready for frying once the batter is set for the stuffed guisquil. While the oil is heating, whip the egg whites, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until stiff but not dry. Add the yolks to the whites, beat for 30 seconds, add 2 tablespoons of the flour, and beat for 15 more seconds. 

Now increase the heat of the oil to a medium to high flame, and heat the oil until very hot, but not smoking, or 360ºF if using a frying thermometer.

Hold the guisquil slices and cheese together, dip them into the whipped egg batter, and then place gingerly in the hot oil. Fry the stuffed guisquil until golden on both sides, carefully turning them over with a fry spatula (don’t worry; the egg batter holds it all together). Remove immediately from the saucepan and set them aside on paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Discard most of the oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons.

In the same saucepan reduce the flame to medium low, sauté the onions for about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour, cook for 30 seconds, then slowly add the water and continue stirring. Mix in the annatto, and chicken bouillon, cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! El Salvador rellenos de guisquil with cheese recipe Rellenos de guisquil recipe Alicia Maher Delicious El Salvador