This is the Comida Typica trilogy for Nicaragua in my book. The thing I will remember most about the cuisine in Nicaragua is the use of onion--usually fresh, sometimes pickled, and less often sauteed, in all savory food. Onions in green salads are sliced very thin, and add a brightness of flavor that I am going to incorporate into my repetoire when composing salads. I use alot of red onion and scallions, but the lowly yellow onion will have a more prominent role in future salad creations. The pico de gallo in Nicaragua is equal parts onion and tomato, with a small amount of jalapeno for heat--the Nicas are not big on spicy and so the onion flavor appears to be more highly valued than the Scoville heat scale. I have to say, I like a little more spice than is the norm in Nicaragua but the emphasis on onion was something I would like to learn from and incorporate into my cooking. Finally, pickled vegeatbles that are 1/2 or more onion slices are prevalent and delicious.
The traditional rice and beans of Nicaragua is a variation on a theme--somewhere between the red beans and rice of Cajun cooking and the Morros y Christianos of Cuban fame. The Nica dish has less liquid than the former, and the same consistency as the later but a different color. The Nicaraguans like their rice drier than is my taste, but as so often happens, after returning from Latin America rice and beans will make a resurgence in our household diet. Gallo pinto is made using the method for cooking Refried Beans (December 9, 2009 post) but with red beans instead of pintos and the beans are left whole--the beans are removed from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and mixed with equal parts rice--so just enough liquid to color the rice, nothing more--then molded into a bowl, the bowl inverted on a plate, and served with a dollop of onion-heavy pico de gallo.
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