2000s Recipes + Menus
Guatemalan Red-Cabbage Relish (Curtido de Repollo Morado Guatemalteco)
Serves12
- Active time:20 min
- Start to finish:40 min
June 2009
Presilla’s version of a popular Central American table condiment—delicious piled on top of tamales and enchiladas or eaten with beef—has a vegetal sweetness and a brightness that cuts the lushness of marinated slab bacon. Beet juice augments the color even more.
- 1 (2- to 2 1/2-lb) red cabbage, cored and finely shredded
- 1 large carrot, finely shredded
- 1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 fresh jalapeņos, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
- 1 cup red-wine vinegar
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup beet juice from a can or jar of beets (not pickled; optional)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 5 tablespoons grated brown loaf sugar (piloncillo or panela) or 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted (see Tips)
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Blanch cabbage in a large pot of salted boiling water 2 minutes. Drain well in a colander and cool. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with carrot, onion, jalapeņos, and bay leaves.
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Whisk together vinegar, oil, lime juice, beet juice (if using), cilantro, loaf sugar, zest, allspice, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper in a bowl until sugar and salt have dissolved. Pour over vegetables and toss well. Let stand at least 20 minutes for flavors to blend. Discard bay leaves.
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Serve relish sprinkled with cumin seeds.
Cooks’ note:
- Relish can be made 3 days ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Keywords
- latino,
- condiment,
- gourmet entertains,
- maricel presilla,
- fiesta forever
Fiesta Forever
When Maricel Presilla, a restaurateur and major authority on Latin cooking, throws a party, she thinks big. Really big. And since she believes that ‘el barbecue’ can be a key to a culture, we couldn’t pass up the chance to spend a day in her world, with her food. You’re invited, too.