ss
Fiambre (Guatemalan Composed Salad)
Fiambre, which means "served cold" is eaten only in Guatemala on All Saint's Day. Though its origins are murky, as families took dozens of little dishes to the cemetery, over time they got mixed together, resulting in this easier-to-cary creation. This recipe first appeared in our November 2011 issue along with Kent Black's story Saintly Salad
Enlarge Image
Credit: Todd Coleman
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup chopped parsley½ cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. capers, drained
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
6 scallions, roughly chopped
1 7-oz. jar pimientos, drained
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
1 1″ piece ginger, sliced thin
1 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and cut into 1″ cubes
1 lb. medium head-on, un-peeled shrimp, boiled
1 lb. peeled Yukon gold potatoes, boiled and halved
8 oz. cooked uncured chorizo sausage, cut into ¼″ slices
8 oz. cooked linguiça sausage, cut into ¼″ slices
4 oz. green beans, trimmed and boiled until tender
3 oz. salami, cut into ½″ strips
3 oz. ham, cut into ½″ strips 1 cup frozen peas
4 medium carrots, cut into ½″ rounds, boiled until tender
4 ribs celery, cut into ½″ slices, boiled until tender
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, boiled until tender
4 medium beets, roasted, peeled, and quartered
1 small head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1 small head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
8 oz. farmer's cheese or feta
3 oz. mini gherkins, drained
3 oz. Spanish olives, pitted
5 radishes, quartered
4 boiled eggs, quartered
3 pacayas (palm tree blossoms, available from Amazon.com)
INSTRUCTIONS
Puree ½ cup parsley, vinegar, capers, mustard, scallions, pimientos, garlic, and ginger in a blender. Drizzle in oil until emulsified; season with salt and pepper and set vinaigrette aside. Toss chicken, shrimp, potatoes, chorizo, linguiça, green beans, salami, ham, peas, carrots, celery, and cauliflower with ¾ cup vinaigrette in a bowl. Toss beets with ¼ cup vinaigrette in another bowl. Cover both bowls; chill 30 minutes to blend flavors. Arrange lettuce on bottom of a large platter; top with marinated meats and vegetables. Garnish with beets, cheese, gherkins, olives, radishes, eggs, and pacayas; sprinkle with remaining parsley.Ratings & Reviews (3)
I am from Guatemala and according to tradition we eat "fiambre" on All Saints Day. Each family has it's own special recipe, that has usually been passed on from generation to generation. There is "red fiambre" which has a lot of beet as an ingredient, that's why is red, and there is "white fiambre", which also has beet, but not as much. Some have shrimp, like this recipe, and some don't, as I said, it varies depending on the region, but most of all, on the recipe that has been passed on over the years. I guess the secret for a good "fiambre" is the vinaigrette and the mix of cold meats and sausages. We (Guatemalan people) wait all year for All Saints Day, not only because we want to eat "fiambre", but because families gather around the kitchen to prepare it and then around the table to eat it. I guess it means to us, what Thanksgiving Dinner means to Americans. And by the way, it's delicious!
I agree with Maria Unda, this recipe varies from family to family we prepare a "pinkish" fiambre, because of the small amount of beets we use, contrary to white friambre, which doesn´t contain beet at all. The recipe we have was from my grandmother (from Quetzaltenango) and the secret for a traditional fiambre, for me, consists on the time you give the vegetables to brine, and it really is delicious!!!
Fiambre (Guatemalan Composed Salad)
4
5
2
3
