Remember way back when we wrote about XOCO's noche buena salad? (We know, it was a week ago—it's hard for us to remember, too.) Today—day 6 of our los doce dias series—we check out Topolo's version.
Let's start at the top of this thing. The first element you'll notice is that, instead of the traditional sprinkles, chef Joel Ramirez garnished the dish with housemade peanut toffee. Beneath that are some typical noche buena components: beets (and beet greens), apples, jicama, blood orange. And beneath all that is a slightly sweet flan flavored with orange blossom water.
As with all noche buena salads, the question has to be asked: Is this a first course or a dessert? I actually did ask Chef Joel that question, and he answered that it was both. "I approached it as a wacky, desserty salad," he said. In los doce dias de Navidad, anything goes.
