Pickle & Preserve

Crab & Cantaloupe Tacos with Pickled Jicama “Tortillas”

July 12, 2015
3.8
4 Ratings
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Makes 16
Author Notes

I've tucked a light and refreshing crab and cantaloupe salad into a quick pickled jicama slice and called it a taco. —Sippity Sup (Greg Henry)

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Sippity Sup (Greg Henry) is a cookbook author and podcast host who lives in Los Angeles.
WHAT: A briny, summery play on the taco—with pickled jicama instead of tortillas.
HOW: Pickle jicama slices in a turmeric brine, then make a salad of crab and cantaloupe, which play surprisingly well together—especially when doused with fresh lime juice.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Crispy jicama pickles take the place of standard tortillas (we found that a brine time of 3 hours was just right). Fill 'em with a sweet, tender crab and cantaloupe salad and you've got a light summer dinner perfect for a hot night. —maryGpastorek

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 jicama (at least 4" in diameter)
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 pound lump crab meat
  • 1/2 cup tiny diced cantaloupe
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
  • 3 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon pico de gallo powder (plus more for sprinkling)
  • 16 whole fresh mint leaves (as garnish)
  • 16 lime wedges (for spritzing)
Directions
  1. Make the jicama “tortillas”: Halve the jicama and make 16 very thin center cut slices (about 5 mm thick). A mandoline is very helpful for getting thin, uniform slices. Use a 3 1/2″ round cutter to cut each of the slices into uniformly sized rounds. Place the rounds in a shallow, heatproof bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, stir the apple cider vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and turmeric until the salt and sugar dissolve. Place the pan over high heat and bring the brine to a boil.
  3. Pour the brine over the jicama slices, making sure some liquid gets between all the slices. Set aside to come to room temperature.
  4. Make the crab salad: Place the crab meat, diced melon, rice vinegar, thinly sliced green onion, thinly sliced mint, and 1/2 teaspoon pico de gallo powder in a medium bowl. Gently fold the mixture together until well incorporated, taking care to keep the lump crab meat from breaking up too much.
  5. Make the tacos: Drain the pickled jicama slices and gently pat them dry with paper towels. Lay the slices onto a serving platter and divide the crab salad equally between each of the slices. Garnish the tacos with a sprinkle of pico de gallo powder and a mint leaf. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Leslie Giordano
    Leslie Giordano
  • Chef Devaux
    Chef Devaux
  • savorthis
    savorthis
  • TheWimpyVegetarian
    TheWimpyVegetarian
  • Sippity Sup (Greg Henry)
    Sippity Sup (Greg Henry)

7 Reviews

Leslie G. June 27, 2021
Not yet a review (I’ll be making these later tonight) but rather a tip. Trader Joe’s sells jicama “tortillas” so you don’t need to fret about getting the proper thinness using your mandolin. Those little guys were a lifesaver for me. 👍🏻
 
Chef D. November 22, 2015
oh yes!
 
savorthis August 7, 2015
Love it. I'm a quick pickle freak lately- and this looks great. Congrats.
 
Ken August 7, 2015
TKS XOGREG
 
Ken August 7, 2015
This computer IDs me as Ken. I'm camping right now so my tech issues are many. XOGREG
 
TheWimpyVegetarian August 6, 2015
This looks fantastic Greg!!
 
Sippity S. August 7, 2015
XOGREG