Chef at Home

We use Nopales from time to time in cold preparations. I definitely like the texture and the freshness of this vegetable. It can remind you a bit of a cucumber, but with a more vigorous character and a greener flavor. The first step is to remove the thick skin by peeling it with a knife. We cut it into a small dice, season it with 1% sea salt the cactus then place it in a sealed jar in a cooler for 24 hours. This allows the salt to penetrate and sweat the natural juices from the plant. It is then rinsed under cold water and drained. The result is a deeper green color and the texture is more gelatinous and crunchy like a fresh pickle. For our last preparation, we seasoned it with pickled ginger and some of the pickling liquid, fresh diced jalapeno and parsley leaves. We finished it with a touch of grapeseed oil and deep-fried dried shrimp on top.

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