Charred Nopales with Jalapeños and Spring Onions
TOTAL TIME : 55 mins
SERVINGS : 4
INGREDIENTS
16 small cebollitas (spring onions) (about 4 bunches) or 1 large white onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rings
4 medium nopales (cactus paddles) (about 5 ounces each)
2 large red or green jalapeños (about 1 1/2 ounces each)
2 tablespoons sunflower oil or other neutral cooking oil (such as canola)
1 teaspoon fine Himalayan pink salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Black beans, rice, corn tortillas, avocado slices, and lime wedges, for serving
If using cebollitas, trim and discard top third of stalks. Peel off and discard outer layer of bulbs. Remove and discard any dry, papery skin from pale green and dark green stalks. Trim and discard any roots. If any bulbs are 3/4 inch round or larger, cut bulb in half lengthwise, cutting into the pale green stalk just a little bit and keeping the stalk intact. (If using a white onion, peel onion, halve it lengthwise, and thinly slice with the grain, following the curve of the onion to keep the slices similar in size.) Set aside.
Working with 1 nopal at a time, place nopal flat on a work surface. Hold the base of the paddle with a clean kitchen towel. Using a sharp paring knife, trim about 1/4 inch off the entire perimeter of the paddle; discard. If base of paddle is tough, cut off and discard. Using a sharp knife, scrape off any thorny spines on each side of paddle, being careful not to shave off too much cactus skin. Rinse paddle under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Starting about 1 inch from base of each cleaned paddle, make 3 or 4 lengthwise cuts through paddle and toward top of paddle, spacing cuts 1 inch apart. Halve jalapeños lengthwise, keeping stems intact. (Do not remove seeds.)
Heat a large cast-iron comal or a 2-burner cast-iron griddle over high heat until comal is smoking, 5 to 7 minutes. Toss together cebollitas, nopales, jalapeños, oil, and salt on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Working in 2 batches, arrange cebollitas and jalapeños in a single layer on hot comal. Cook cebollitas, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and bulbs are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 9 to 14 minutes. Cook jalapeños, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and softened, 12 to 15 minutes. As cebollitas and jalapeños finish cooking, transfer to a serving platter, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. (If using white onion, cook on hot comal, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred around edges, about 12 minutes.)
Add nopales to comal. Cook, turning occasionally, until nopales turn a dull green color, are charred in spots, and are tender all the way through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle nopales, cebollitas, and jalapeños with additional salt to taste, and drizzle with lime juice. Serve with beans, rice, tortillas, avocado, and lime wedges.