Chilean ensalada de piures y ulte is a cold seafood salad of cooked piures (red sea squirts) marinated in lemon juice and mixed with boiled ulte, the stem of the cochayuyo seaweed, plus onion, green chili, cilantro, oil, salt, and pepper. It takes 20 minutes of preparation plus 30 minutes of cooking and serves 4 people.
It is a classic expression of Chilean coastal cooking, where the freshness of the seafood makes all the difference.
How to Make Chilean Piure and Ulte Salad?
With seafood, freshness and quality are everything, so choose the best piures you can find. The ulte and piures are cooked separately, the piures rest in lemon, and everything is dressed just before serving.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of piure and ulte salad contains approximately 160 kcal, 10 g of carbohydrates, 10 g of fat, 8 g of protein, 3 g of fiber, 2 g of sugars, 20 mg of cholesterol, and 180 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
Homemade Chilean Ensalada de Piures y Ulte Recipe
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) of piure meat
- 300 g (10.5 oz) of ulte (cochayuyo stem)
- 3 green chilies, chopped
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 3 tablespoons of cilantro
- 2 lemons
- 1 onion, diced
- Fine sea salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the ulte very well, place it in a medium pot, cover with water, and cook over medium heat without salt for about 20 minutes, until tender. Let it cool and cut it into small pieces.
- In another pot, cook the piures in lightly salted water over medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain, cool, chop into medium pieces, and place them in a bowl. Pour over the lemon juice, stir, and chill for about 15 minutes.
- Add the chopped ulte, onion, green chili, cilantro, and oil, mix well with a wooden spoon, season with salt and pepper, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve right away as a starter or side.
Additional Tips
Clean piures carefully
Cut open the tough outer tunic, remove any black tunic and the bitter green parts, and rinse the red flesh briefly under cold water.
Do not overcook the ulte
Cook it just until tender with a little bite; more than 30 minutes makes it gelatinous.
Dress at the last minute
Lemon changes the texture of the piures quickly, so mix and dress the salad just before serving.
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piures | Cooked mussels | 1:1 | Milder |
| Ulte | Cochayuyo, soaked and boiled | 1:1 | Softer |
| Green chili | Merkén | A pinch | Smoky heat |
| Lemon | Lime | 1:1 | More aromatic |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I know piures are fresh?
They should be intensely red and firm, with a fresh sea smell and never a smell of ammonia.
2. What is ulte?
Ulte is the thick base or stem of the cochayuyo seaweed (Durvillaea antarctica), firmer and milder than the fronds.
3. Which wine goes with it?
A young, fresh Sauvignon Blanc, or a light cool-climate Pinot Noir for something bolder.
4. Can I make it ahead?
Prepare the ingredients separately and mix them just before serving, since the salad turns watery if it sits.
What Is Piure and Ulte Salad?
Ensalada de piures y ulte is a Chilean seafood salad combining red sea squirts with the tender stem of the cochayuyo seaweed, dressed with lemon, onion, and chili.
The Cochayuyo Root
Ulte, or huilte, is the base of the cochayuyo seaweed, one of its most prized parts, eaten raw or cooked in salads and stews.
Did You Know?
Piures (Pyura chilensis) are filter-feeding animals, not plants, feeding on plankton filtered from seawater, which gives them their intense marine flavor.
