Grilled Chicken with Cactus
Grilled Chicken with Cactus
Pechugas de Pollo con NopalitosTraditional ingredients presented in new ways makes dining in upscale Mexican restaurants quite an adventure these days. This dish is a striking plate of pan-grilled chicken in a classic cooked tomato sauce, presented on a bed of diced cactus. The idea for the dish came from Adobe Restaurant in Tlaquepaque, a suburb of Guadalajara, where I have spent many pleasurable days wandering through the craft shops housed in restored colonial buildings, and enjoying the local cuisine.
Ingrediënten
Makes 4 servings
- Basic Cooked Tomato Sauce
- 2 cups water-packed jarred cactus strips nopalitos, drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ medium white onion finely chopped
- 1 medium garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Crumbled queso fresco fresh Mexican cheese, or mild feta cheese
Instructies
- Prepare the tomato sauce.
- Reserve in the pan off heat.
- Cut the cactus strips into 1⁄2-inch pieces.
- Rinse well.
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook the onion, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, reserved cactus and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
- Reserve off heat.
- Brush the chicken with the remaining olive oil and season with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Heat a stove top grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until well marked from the grill, firm to the touch, and no longer pink inside at the thickest part.
- To serve, reheat the tomato sauce and cactus.
- Divide the cactus evenly among 4 serving plates and place 1 chicken breast on top of each serving.
- Spoon some of the heated tomato sauce over each chicken breast.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Serve hot.
- Pass remaining sauce at the table.
