Stuffed Cactus In Batter - Nopales Rellenos y Rebozados

Well it’s not every weekend I get out for culinary excursions in Baja, so this week I decided to cover what goes on in my Kitchen. I was craving some Nopales and my wife decided to make some incredible Stuffed Nopales in Batter.

Ingredients:

6 prickly pear cactus paddles, cleaned
Oaxacan string cheese (quesillo)
4 eggs (separated)
Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste
Salsa
Crema

Preparation:

Clean and select Nopales, try to pair similar sizes preferably small.



Place thin slices of cheese on one nopal and cover with a second one, basically making a sandwich.



Secure the nopal and cheese with toothpicks



Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks; gradually beat in salt and yolks.



Heat the oil in a large skillet until a few drops of water sprinkled into it bounce around. Dip the stuffed nopales in the egg batter to coat.



Fry in the hot oil until golden brown on each side.



Drain on paper towels.



Top with Salsa of choice, optional Crema and serve. The salsa we use is green tomato and chile de arbol based.



Some people add flour to the nopal but we feel with the texture of the nopal it is not required, the batter sticks to the nopal just fine. We also prefer the nopal to be dipped in the batter raw; some may want to boil the nopal. The type of cheese you use can vary.

Sometimes you don’t have to go far for a great meal, I just feel lucky to have such a great cook in the kitchen. This post is also a tribute to my chowhound buddy EatNopales who eats nopales without removing the thorns!