NPR News

Nopal Salad

NPR

Published October 26, 2006 at 11:14 AM EDT

Pujol restaurant owner Enrique Olvera prepares his own take on the traditional Mexican cactus salad.

Enrique Olvera owns the restaurant Pujol in Mexico City, which serves modern Mexican food with traditional ingredients. Here he shares his recipe for nopal salad:

Makes 4 servings

12 small nopal cactus leaves

1 plum tomato

1/2 cup queso fresco (Mexican-style cheese)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon chopped white onion

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 pint oregano-olive oil ice cream

1/2 cup corn meal (masa harina)

salt and pepper

Add the plum tomatoes to boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and shock in iced water. Remove skin and seeds. Chop in small dice.

Toast the corn meal over medium heat until aromatic and golden color. Season with salt.

Blanch the nopal leaves in plenty of salted boiling water until they turn from bright green to dark green. Remove and cool to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels and slice into cubes.

Mix the nopal, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, olive oil, cheese and lime juice. Mix slowly without agitating too much. Check seasoning.

Serve mixture in a deep salad bowl with the oregano ice cream on top and some toasted corn meal on the rim of the bowl.