Pako Salad or Ensaladang Pako (Fern Salad) Recipe

Pako or Fern is widely distributed in the Philippines, it is common on gravel bars and banks of streams and rivers. The young fronds of fern or commonly spoken as "fiddle heads" are eaten as a leafy vegetable, raw or cooked and it is also used as an ingredient in salads or stews.

I remember from my young age, my mom always prepared pako salad or ensaladang pako (which is one of my favorite salad) and sometimes saute pako with sotanghon or vermicelli especially when pako is available in the market.

In province of Aurora ( in the eastern part of Central Luzon) Pako is an ordinary ingredient in their culinary dishes, they used it as the substitute to other vegetables that are not available in their province. You can try to taste their pako dishes once you visit Aurora that is available in local restaurant and eatery especially in town of Baler.

Hungry of a vegetables salad, try this simple and delicious pako salad.

Good for serving: 3 - 4 persons
Ingredients:

½ kilo pako, washed and cut
4 tomatoes washed and sliced into rings
2 medium red onions sliced into rings
4 hard-boiled eggs sliced into rings
3 medium potatoes peeled, boiled and cubed
1 cup cane or apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly grounded
salt to taste

Pako Salad Cooking Instruction:

Blance the pako. For blanching, boil up some water in a large pot, then prepare a large bowl with water and lots of ice, or an ice bath.
Plunge the pako into the boiling water and swich it around for just 15 or 20 seconds. Then take the pako out and shock it in the ice bath to stop the cooking and to retain the beautiful green color, and drain it well.
In a crystal bowl or Salad bowl, arrange pako.
Top with sliced tomatoes and onions, cubed potatoes and hardboiled eggs.
In another dressing bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, black pepper and salt.
Serve salad with the vinegar dressing.
Share and enjoy

Image Source: lafang.mikemina.com