Oaxaca salad by Pilar Cabrera: Ensalada Oaxaca por Pilar Cabrera
Pilar Cabrera, chef, cooking instructor and, most recently, participant in Iron Chef Canada, shares this recipe with Mexconnect readers.
Ingredients
- 250 grams (about ½ pound) of organic lettuce
- 80 grams (about 3 ounces) chile pasilla toasted (see note, below)
- 80 grams (about 3 ounces) of julienned tortilla strips, fried in oil
- 8 pieces of Oaxaca cheese
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 8 scallions, grilled
- 250 ml (about 8 fluid ounces) of tamarind dressing (recipe follows)
Clean the chile and grill it. After that, blend until you get a chile powder. Put the lettuce in a bowl and add the dressing. Plate the salad in a pasta bowl, with the cheese, cherry tomatoes and scallions arranged around the lettuce. Sprinkle with the ground pasilla. (Makes 1 generous serving of salad.)
(Note from Mexconnect: Dried chiles should be toasted only to the point of fragrance. Any more and they will burn, producing a bitter flavor.)
Ingredients
- 100 ml (about 3 fluid ounces) adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
- 250 ml (about 8 fluid ounces) of apple cider vinegar
- 125 ml (about 4 fluid ounces) of olive oil
- 50 grams (about 1 ¾ ounces) of fresh grated ginger
- 60 grams( about 2 ounces) of tamarind pulp (see note, below)
- Salt and pepper
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until blended together. Taste and add salt and pepper. Let the dressing sit for at least 1 hour to 1 day before serving, so that the flavors come together. This dressing lasts for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Always label with the date. (Makes about 16 fluid ounces.)
(Note: In Mexico, tamarind pulp can be found at mercados and supermarkets. North of the border, it can be found in Mexican and Asian grocery stores or online.)
A Oaxaca culinary ambassador: an interview with Chef Pilar Cabrera
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