Quesadilla with Sous Vide Chicken

This recipe makes two quesadillas, which will divide into approximately eight pizza slice-shaped wedges. The key is to not put too much filling into each quesadilla because otherwise it will fall out when you flip it. Serve and enjoy!

Author

Christina Wylie

Christina Wylie is an award-winning writer, author, editor, food stylist, recipe creator, entrepreneur and radio host whose work has been featured in The Times & The Sunday Times, Time Out (Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai), Traveler’s Digest, Fah Thai Magazine, Broadsheet, Wining & Dining and many other internationally renowned publications. In 2013, after almost a decade of working as an international journalist, Christina founded the online lifestyle magazine The GAB Magazine, for which she now leads a team of 60 writers based all across Australia. She then founded Samui Life Magazine in 2016. After working as a recipe creator for Anova Culinary for over a year, she signed a cookbook contract with the American-based, international publishing company Quarto. Her cookbook, titled The Sous Vide Kitchen: Techniques, Ideas, and More Than 100 Recipes to Cook at Home, was published worldwide in 2017. She wrote, styled, and photographed everything that you see within that book. In 2017 she opened her first restaurant, Bootlegger, in Koh Samui, Thailand. She is currently in the initial stages of launching Bootlegger 2 in Phuket in 2018, and is looking to open Bootlegger 3 in Bangkok in 2019. She is currently working towards stepping into the world of food and travel presenting. As an entrepreneur herself, Christina co-founded the charity initiative Project Gen Z in 2015 to teach orphaned Cambodian children entrepreneurial skills. A British expat born and raised in Hong Kong, Christina has worked across the globe, and has lived in Thailand, London, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa over the years.

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 01:15

Temperature : 140F / 60C

Ingredients

• 1 (8- to 10-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon minced scallion
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1–2 small jalapeno chiles, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
• 4 large flour tortillas
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 140ºF (60ºC).
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a medium zipper lock or vacuum seal bag with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting.
3. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
4. About 10 minutes before the chicken is finished, prepare the avocado cream: Combine avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and scallion in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Press plastic wrap to the surface of the cream to prevent browning. Refrigerate until serving.
5. In a small bowl, combine ground cumin, Cajun seasoning, dried oregano, and chili powder. Set aside.
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, red pepper, and jalapeno. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Add the tomato, cilantro, and 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm. Clean the skillet.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard cooking liquid.
2. Shred the chicken and place in the bowl with the vegetables. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons spice mix and stir to combine.
3. Heat the vegetable oil or butter in the now clean skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add 1 tortilla to the pan. Top with half of the chicken mixture and half of the cheese. Place second tortilla on top.
4. Cook, pressing down on the top tortilla, until bottom is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook until golden brown on second side. Transfer quesadilla to serving plate and slice into triangles.
5. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Serve quesadillas with the avocado cream.