Jicama Salad With Mint Crema

Jicama Salad With Mint Crema
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When we inspected the plot where we would build the restaurant, we found a twenty-foot-long jicama vine growing wild. It was insane. The vine was so large it was taking over entire trees.Jicama is starchy and crisp and completely refreshing. Imagine crossing a potato, an apple, and a cucumber without the seeds. Jicama is almost entirely water by weight, so when you shop for it, look for the firmest and heaviest. You want the skin to be tight, not wrinkled.We garnish this salad with Prickly Pear Preserves, but you could use a handful of ripe watermelon cubes instead. And, yes, the mint crema recipe makes double what you’ll need, but we promise you’ll want to make this salad again.Excerpted from Hartwood by Eric Werner and Mya Henry with Christine Mulke and Oliver Strand (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2015.
Servings
0
servings
Jicama Salad with Mint Crema
Ingredients
  • 2 jicamas (each about the size of a small grapefruit)
  • 2 oranges, suprêmed (see note)
  • 1 cup mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup lime and honey vinaigrette (recipe follows)
  • 3/4 cup mint crema (recipe follows)
  • 3 tablespoon prickly pear preserves (recipe follows; optional)
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted in a dry skillet until lightly browned
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until lightly browned
  • 8 pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted in a dry skillet until lightly browned
  • 1 cup mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon honey, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 2 prickly pears
  • 1 half-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into quarter-inch slices
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
  1. Peel the jicama with a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices, about 2 inches by 1½ inches. Put in a bowl and add the orange suprêmes, mint, and salt, then add the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
  2. Coat the bottom of each serving dish with a smear of the mint crema and pile the salad on top. Drizzle with the prickly pear preserves, if using, and sprinkle the pepitas and sunflower seeds over the top.
  3. Combine the pepitas, mint, olive oil, honey, and lime juice in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and emulsified. Slowly add the water and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds, then add the sour cream and salt and blend for another 10 seconds. The crema should be as thick as aioli. Season to taste if necessary. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified, then taste—everything should be in balance: the acid of the lime, the sweetness of the honey, the salinity of the salt. If anything is too faint, add more of whatever is missing. The vinaigrette will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator; whisk again before serving to re-emulsify it.
  5. Remove the skin from the prickly pears. Put the flesh in a bowl and break it apart with a spoon until liquefied.
  6. Combine the prickly pear, ginger, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium-size saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half and syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, then strain out the seeds and ginger.
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