Fiambre is a cold salad that is traditionally eaten in Guatemala on All Souls Day (Day of the Dead). Fiambre originated from the Guatemalan tradition of bringing dead family members their favourite dishes to the cemeteries for The Day of the Dead. As the number of deceased family members increased, and families mixed through marriages, more foods were brought to the cemeteries over time and eventually this combination of vegetables, meats and dairy were mixed into this all-encompassing salad, which made it easier to carry to the cemetery. Fiambre differs from family to family and this recipe can be altered to suit include yours and your families favourite ingredients.
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¾ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. capers, drained
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Fiambre
- 400 grams boneless chicken breasts, poached and cut into cubes
- 60 grams ham, cut into strips
- 60 grams salami, cut into strips
- 1 cup peas, boiled
- 3 medium carrots, cut into strips, boiled until tender
- 3 ribs celery, cut into strips, boiled until tender
- ½ a medium capsicum cut into strips
- 1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ cup tinned baby beets
- Medium green leaf lettuce, leaves separated
- ¾ cup mini gherkins, drained
- ½ cup Spanish Olives, pitted
- 4 boiled eggs, quartered
- 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Blitz ½ cup parsley, vinegar, capers, mustard and garlic in a blender. Drizzle olive oil until it has emulsified; season with salt and pepper and set vinaigrette aside. Toss chicken, ham, salami, beans, peas, carrots, celery, capsicum and mushrooms with ¾ of the vinaigrette in a bowl. Toss beets with remaining ¼ of vinaigrette in a bowl. Cover both bowls with cling wrap, and leave them to chill for 30 minutes to soak up flavours. Arrange lettuce leaves on the bottom of a serving dish, top with marinated meats and vegetables. Garnish with beets, mini gherkins, olives, eggs, cheese and sprinkle remaining parsley.
From page 32 of Issue 10: ‘Social Outreach’ of The Record Magazine