Tequeños (Venezuelan Breaded Cheese Sticks)
Tequeños are Venezuelan cheese sticks, white cheese sealed inside a thin wrapping of dough and deep fried until golden. They are named for Los Teques, the town in Miranda state where they are thought to have started, with references going back to the early 1800s. The dough is simple and the cheese melts soft inside, so the only real skill is wrapping each stick fully. Serve them with guasacaca for dipping.
Instructions
Mix the flour, oil, egg, salt and sugar in a bowl to form a dough. Knead it while working in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, and keep kneading until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
Let the dough rest for 1 to 2 hours. While it rests, cut the cheese into finger-shaped strips about 1 x 1 x 7 cm (½ x ½ x 3 inches).
Shape the rested dough into palm-sized balls and roll each one out to about ½ cm thick. Cut the sheets into long strips 1½ cm (¾ inch) wide.
Wrap a dough strip around each piece of cheese, covering the cheese completely and pinching the dough closed. Any gap will let the cheese leak out into the oil.
Dust the wrapped sticks with flour and deep fry them in hot oil until golden. Serve them with guasacaca, either the mild green version or the spicy red one.
Make it personal.
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