Jicama and mandarin orange salad: Ensalada xec

Karen Hursh Graber

This refreshing Yucatecan-style salad uses winter fruit in season. It comes to us courtesy of Chef David Sterling of Merida’s Los Dos cooking school.

Ingredients

• • 1 ½ pounds jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips
  • 1 lime
  • ¼ cup naranja agria (sour orange) juice or substitute 2 parts lime juice, and 1 part each grapefruit and sweet orange juice
  • 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely diced
  • 5 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned, seeds removed
  • 3 small, dried chiles, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • salt to taste

Step 1: Peel jicama. The skin of this root vegetable will peel right off after you insert a knife between the skin and the flesh. Remove any traces of brown or remaining skin with a vegetable peeler. To keep the vegetable from discoloring as you work, rub it liberally with lime juice. Cut jicama into julienne strips. Toss in a large bowl with orange juice.

Step 2: Peel cucumber, seed and dice. Meanwhile, peel oranges and separate into sections, removing any seeds. Toss oranges and cucumber with jicama.

Step 3: Add chile and cilantro. Toss and check for seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.