Pozole Verde and Cactus Leaves

Green Gastronomy

French cousins could not leave Mexico without having eaten pozole (hominy) and nopalitos (nopal cactus leaves). Very little corn is eaten in France except, perhaps, for a few kernels scattered in a salad. Corn is for chickens and cows. So we started today's comida at La Jacaranda with nopalitos on tostadas and then had bowls full of delicious Pozole Verde. Given the quantities consumed, I would say both were much appreciated, although the cousins will probably be quite happy to return to their fine French gastronomy.

Pozole Verde

I had eaten an upscale Pozole Verde with seafood in a restaurant with some Mexican friends and subsequently was able to reproduce it to my (and their) reasonable satisfaction. I now make it with either chicken, pork or seafood.

By request, here is a list of the ingredients I use (not in recipe format) :
- A vegetable or seafood broth for liquid
- Pozole (I like the pre-cooked refrigerated pozole, and still use a pressure cooker.
It turns out super tender.)
- Liquify green ingredients in blender: tomatillos, poblano, cilantro, green onions or onion, garlic
- When cooked, add diced green summer squash and cook al dente
- Add scallops or shrimp last and do not overcook the seafood.

Variation: cook with pork or chicken; vegetable broth is not needed. Do NOT use a seafood broth in this case.

Condiments: chopped raw onion, serrano or other green hot chile, fresh cilantro, finely shredded cabbage or lettuce, lime wedges


Nopalitos

When I make a nopalito salad to eat on tostadas, I buy the conveniently cooked and diced nopalitos at the market. Two issues are the bava (the viscous "drool" of the nopal leaf) and hygiene. At home I bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil. Stir in the nopalitos and let boil for approximately 2 minutes. Drain in a colander. This accomplishes two things. The dish will have little of the viscous bava left, which some people do not like, and the nopalitos are pasteurized for consumption .

You, too, can enjoy these dishes in Patzcuaro.