I’ve written about Mexican restaurants in Dallas before, inevitably, as Dallas is the home to some wonderful eateries – some purely Mexican, most a combination of Texan and Mexican and all with spicy tasty dishes that keep you wanting to go back.A couple of weeks ago, intending to visit Abraham Salum’s eponymous restaurant, it suddenly seemed an interesting idea to try his other restaurant next door - Komali. Where Salum is modern American fare beautifully executed Komali is all new Mexican and it’s well worth a visit as this is Mexican food you will never have had before, and in the style of the top world acclaimed restaurants in Mexico City such as Pujol of Enrique Olivera.
Chef Abraham Salum is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier,
Vermont and travelled the kitchens of France, Belgium, Mexico and the US before launching here in Dallas. Salum has made frequent appearances on the local morning show Good Morning Texas, and was also invited to be a Celebrity chef for Super Bowl XLV at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. At Komali, Salum offers a fresh take on the cuisine of his native Mexico. Komali comes from the Aztec word for an open fire griddle, as was used by the people of Mexico to prepare tortillas and toast
cacao beans for coffee.If you can get to Dallas you have to put this on your list of restaurants to visit as this is very different to traditional Tex-Mex cuisine and everything I tried, from the fish Ceviche to the grilled red snapper tacos was totally delicious.
Komali
4152 Cole Ave, Suite 106
Dallas, TX 75204
Tel. 214.252.0200
Abraham Salum’s Recipe for Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo
(Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa)
serves 6
For the Enchiladas:
1 lb of cooked shredded chicken meat
olive oil
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 each dried pasilla chiles, seeded
1 cup of chicken stock
salt and pepper
18 corn tortillas
Saute the onion, garlic and pasilla in a bit of olive oil, add the chicken stock and let cook for a few minutes. Puree and add to the chicken together with the cilantro, salt and pepper. Dip the tortillas in a bit of hot oil to warm them up and roll the enchiladas.
For the Salsa verde:1 lb of tomatillos
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of chopped cilantro
1 quart of chicken stock
2 jalapeños
salt and pepper
Put all ingredients in a sauce pot and bring to a boil, let cook until the tomatillos are very soft and puree. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble:
Place three enchiladas per plate and pour sauce over them, top with shredded lettuce and drizzle some mexican crema, top with queso fresco and sliced avocado then serve.
