This much-overlooked vegetable adds a surprisingly meaty texture to both hot and cold dishes. Its mild taste makes it a blank canvas for all types of flavors, making it easy to transform into sweet, spicy, or tangy dishes. You can find hearts of palm raw in some markets, but they are also available canned or jarred. They look like very plump white artichoke stalks (without the tips).
Chef's notes
* Culantro coyote, also known as fitweed, Mexican coriander, bhandhanya, and ngò gai, is an herb related to cilantro, but it has a much stronger flavor. Native to Mexico and South America, it’s cultivated and used around the world in Latin American, Caribbean, and Asian cooking. You can find it in ethnic grocery stores. Cilantro has a stronger smell and flavor when uncooked, while culantro has a stronger flavor and smell after it’s cooked. So use culantro coyote at the start of making a stew or picadillo, and use cilantro toward the end to finish the dish. If you can’t find culantro coyote, use more cilantro (at least double), and possibly the addition of other aromatics like onion, parsley, and mint.
Steps
1
Making the Dish
Ingredients
2 pounds hearts of palm diced (fresh, canned or jarred)
3 red or yellow mini sweet peppers, seeded and diced
4 teaspoons chopped cilantro
4 teaspoons culantro coyote*
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 sweet onion (like Vidalia), minced
11⁄2 cups of water, divided
Salt and pepper (optional)
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine first seven ingredients (through onion) with 1⁄2 cup water.
Stir once in a while, if needed, and add 1⁄2 cup water at a time until all water has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Turn down heat to medium-low, if needed, to avoid burning.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm alone, or as a component of a casado plate.
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