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PREPARATION
1. To make the salsa, heat the oil in a skillet over me- dium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, stirring occa- sionally. Add the tomatillos and jalapeños and continue to cook until tender, about 8 minutes more. Stir in the cumin and coriander.
2. Add the water, bring to a simmer and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the liquid has reduced by half. Transfer the salsa to a blender and add the avoca- dos, cilantro and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Season with salt. Set aside to cool.
3. To make the quesadillas, place the poblano chiles directly on two gas burners turned to high. Turn oc- casionally with tongs until blackened on all sides. Al- ternatively, broil the pobla- nos on a baking sheet in the oven until just charred on all sides, turning occasionally. Place the charred poblanos in a resealable plastic bag,
seal tightly and let steam 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, gently remove and discard the skin, stems and seeds. Slice the po- blanos into thin strips; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, salt and cumin; set aside. In another bowl, combine the crab, poblanos and cilantro.
5. Place 8 tortillas on a work surface. Divide the tomatillo slices evenly over the torti- llas and sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. Top with the crab mixture and cover with the remaining tortillas.
6. Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat un- til smoking. Add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, add 1 or 2 quesadillas and cook until lightly browned on the bot- tom, about 2 minutes. Gen- tly flip and cook until the other side is lightly browned and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Serve warm with the tomatillo-avocado salsa.
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