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.
Ingredients
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
Instructions
- 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.