Chayote Salad with Vanilla Chipotle Dressing
The Recipe
Serves: 10 people
Preparation: 30 minutes
(+2 days)
Assembly Time: 10 minutes
“The chayote crop has archaeologically left very few trails behind, yet the word itself is present in the Otomanguean language (one of the oldest languages in Mesoamerica), and has the greatest number of genetic variations, pointing to its origins around the 12th Century in Southern Mexico.”
Growing up, I was served chayote for dinner, boiled until mushy with a dollop of butter and it was not the tastiest. After living in Mexico, I learnt how important this squash was in Latin America, and the history of its origins runs deep in the region. Chayote is a pear-shaped fruit that is coloured from pale green to emerald and is an extremely diverse ingredient that can be used to make both savoury and sweet dishes.
The chayote crop has left very few traces archaeologically, yet the word itself is present in the Otomanguean language (one of the oldest languages in Mesoamerica), and has the greatest number of genetic variations, pointing to its origins in the 12th Century, Southern Mexico. With the inclusion of this linguistic and agricultural evidence, the Mayan agricultural systems of the 8th Century also show cultivation of similar crops grown in the same way as chayote.
The chayote moved towards the United States in the 18th Century, and then it journeyed towards Europe and Asia. Today, it is heavily cultivated in China and Southeast Asia.
From leaves to roots, to shoots to fruit (whoa, that rhymes), almost all of the chayote plant is edible, and it is highly nutritious, full of fibre, minerals and vitamins, as well as having antioxidant properties.
Whether it is boiled in Caldo de res (Mexico), sauteed with garlic and onion in Chucho refogado (Brazil), or grilled and made into a simple salad such as mine, it gives texture, takes on flavour and is a wonderfully diverse ingredient found in cuisines all around the world.
Below is my chayote salad, it’s super simple so you must try it!
The only key point to this salad is not to overcook the chayote as they will be too mushy to grill.
Enjoy the process and let me know how you go.
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
400g dried pinto beans (soaked overnight and boiled until cooked)
or 1 can of cooked pinto beans
1 kg chayote, peeled and halved
1kg beetroot
200mls of good ginger beer
40g blended chipotle paste
16g good vanilla extract
100g red wine vinegar
40g caster sugar
10g fine sea salt
110g extra virgin olive oil
coriander and lime to garnish
METHOD
The beetroot needs to be prepared 2 days in advance.
Peel beetroot and slice into 8mm thick slices
Place flat in a bag and pour in ginger beer.
Seal and allow to sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 daysOnce the beetroot is marinated and cured, cut the beetroot into 1 cm cubes
Peel and halve chayote (it is good to wear gloves as chayote can be quite sticky)
Place chayote in water and bring to a boil (approximately 15 minutes)
Take out chayote and drain completely, chill to firm up
De-seed and take out the coreSprinkle salt and oil on the chayote and grill both sides until nice char marks form. Slice chayote into 5mm thick pieces.
For the dressing, combine chipotle paste, olive oil, sugar, sea salt, red wine and vinegar, set aside
To assemble, simply toss the prepared beetroot, beans, grilled chayote and mix in the dressing.
You can follow the below proportions for a small side salad.
50g beetroot, chopped into 1 cm cubes80g chayote, chopped into half moons
80g pinto beans
30g chipotle dressing
3g coriander
Top with a lime wedge - ENJOY!
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