Little Cactus Bits
Fig 1. This is what a cactus looks like, Ima gunna eat it!!
If you're at all like me, and I'm sure you are, then you've no doubt casually been perusing your local grocers and asked, "What the heck is up with these full sized cacti pads and why are they for sale in the vegetable section??" Well apparently it means that my local Cub Foods has a large Central American/ Mexican population near it!
These pads are from the Prickly Pear Cactus and also known as Nopals or if you bastardize Spanish as I am wont to do then you call them Nopalalalalalalalalalalalalalas, which causes quite the kerfuffle at the cash register. Central Mexicans have been eating them since before the Spanish came with their pox blankets (1)! The best time to find/buy these leaves is in the early spring, however as I am a maverick I bought them in late spring, so probably got subpar cactus, but it's my first time trying it so I won't know any better! Make sure you avoid the wrinkly ones and you'll be fine! It's quite the big business in Mexico producing around 150 million dollars every year (2), they can really pack away the cacti! You can prepare nopalalalalalalalalalalas by grilling, boiling, frying, or whatever decent things you do to a vegetable. If I've learned anything watching "Dora la Explorer" with my nieces I know Mexicans occasionally hide small mammals in them as well!
Fig 2. No swiping YOU FILTHY ANIMAL!
El Materialioes:
Fig 3. Time to fry us up some NOPALALALALALALALALALAS AREBA!
1 Egg
1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 Tblspn Milk
2 Tblspn flour
1 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp sea salt
La Methodoes:
1) Chop the nubbins off your cactus and remove any stray needles. Wash in cool water until you're muy satisfiedo.
Fig 4. This process is the most time consuming part. If you're like me and impatient you'll just start ripping them off with your fingernails!
2) Cut into strips about 6in long and wide enough to fit into your mouth.
3) Combine eggs, lemon juice, and milk in one bowl. Beat with a fork or whisk until combined.
4) In a second bowl combine the rest of your ingredients.
Fig 5. If it looks like this, then you did it right! Felicitaciones!
5) Dip a strip first in the egg bowl, then in the flour bowl.
6) Heat a frying pan with about 1-2 tablespoons of oil (olive or otherwise) over medium high heat. Now toss in your cactus strips! It helps if you shout olé at this point (or if you're in Minnesota you can just shout OLE and Sven), I know it helped me. Cook for about 3-4 minutes turning infrequently until browned.
Fig 6. Hear that sizzle?!
Fig 7. We did it, we did it, Lo hicimos, we did it! Hooray!
El Resultoes y La Discussion:
These were actually pretty tasty, although I am currently recovering from a cold and can't taste a whole lot, but what I could taste was very good! They tasted similar to green beans and I think they would taste simply cactastic in a dish with chicken, onions, Mexican cheese (queso), and mushrooms to see if anyone notices the difference! I tried to pan fry them without any dipping in the egg or flour, but this led to a drastically smaller cooking time and I tragically burnt them, I could definitely taste those (they tasted like burning). I would completely recommend these to anyone trying to branch out or try new things (that's why it's called Mex-I-CAN!), except it's annoying trying to trim off all those nubbins! I give it 9 out of 10 OLE's!
Literatureo Citedo:
1) http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Ethnic-Unique-Foods-Ingredients-645/nopalitos.aspx
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nopal
I enjoy your abbreviation for tablespoon. Also - what's with the silk? Are you lactose intolerant?
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