Mexico Huauzontles
A savory dish of vegetables in tomato sauce, huauzontle is a Mexican vegetable similar to broccoli. It is Prehispanic, like tomatoes, but unlike them, huauzontle did not impress Europeans and was not adopted. However, it is thought to have many nutritional and health benefits. Huauzontle has largely been replaced by European greens such as lettuce and spinach, but it still survives in a few traditional dishes. Recipe Servings: Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 25 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Tomato sauce:- 3 lbs (1.4 kg) tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 2 stems epazote
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 cups (475 ml) chicken broth
- Oil for cooking
- 1 lb (450 g) huauzontles
- 1/2 lb queso panela (or queso fresco, fresh mozzarella, or monterey jack)
- 1 cup (240 ml) flour
- 5 eggs
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- Oil for cooking
Directions
- Tomato sauce:
- In a large pot, boil the tomatoes.
- In a comal (tortilla griddle) or small pan, roast the garlic, unpeeled, until blackened.
- Peel the tomatoes and the garlic. Combine them with the onion and some of the chicken broth.
- In a large pot, heat oil. Add the tomato sauce, strained. Bring to a boil.
- Add the remaining chicken broth and cook for about 25 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Huauzontles:
- In a large pot, boil water and then add the huauzontles to cook for about 15 minutes, until tender.
- Remove the huauzontles from the pot and set aside.
- Beat the egg whites into soft peaks, and then beat the yolks separately. Combine the egg whites with the egg yolks and add some salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Put some flour on a plate.
- Separate the huauzontles into portions and place a piece of cheese about 3 in (7 cm) long and 1/2 in (1 cm) wide in each portion.
- Bread each portion, then dip into the egg mixture.
- In a wide pan over medium-high heat, fry the huauzontle portions.
- Serve with tomato sauce. Hot tortillas and beans are good options on the side. You can also sprinkle the huauzontles with grated cheese.
Notes
Huauzontle can be added to salads. Also, they can be part of a sandwich (torta) with cheese and tomato sauce (caldillo de jitomate) or a side dish to accompany a steak (filete de res al huauzontle).Copyright © 1993—2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.