Nick Cobarruvias draws on his Mexican heritage for his menu at San Francisco's Otra, layering complex flavor combinations into dishes like this crisp-tender cabbage salad. At the restaurant, he seasons the charred cabbage with the chile-lime butter, which is mildly spicy from árbol chiles and bright from lime zest. The pecan dukkah adds earthiness from the cumin and pops of citrus from the coriander, plus a lovely nutty flavor and texture from the toasted pecans and sesame seeds.

Ingredient :

Pecan Dukkah

• 1/2 cup pecan halves

• 1/4 cup white sesame seeds

• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

• 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

Chile-Lime Butter

• 5 medium (1/10 oz. total) de árbol chiles, toasted 

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh juice (from 1 lime)

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 medium garlic clove, grated (1/4 tsp.)

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 Charred Cabbage Salad

• 2 tablespoons Chile-Lime Butter, softened

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

• 1 small (2 pound) savoy cabbage, halved lengthwise, cored, and leaves separated

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

• 1 tablespoon Pecan Dukkah

• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as dill, chives, mint, cilantro, and chervil)

Directions :

Prepare the Pecan Dukkah

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread pecans, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor; pulse until pecans are finely chopped, 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in salt and Aleppo. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

Prepare the Chile-Lime Butter

Place chiles and cumin seeds in a spice grinder; process until mixture resembles a fine powder, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; add butter, lime zest and juice, salt, garlic, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Beat mixture on medium-high speed until butter is light and creamy, 1 minute to 1 minute, 30 seconds. Transfer to an airtight container; store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.3.

Prepare the Charred Cabbage Salad

Place Chile-Lime Butter and lime juice in a large bowl, and set aside. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Toss together cabbage leaves, oil, salt, and black pepper in a separate large bowl until leaves are evenly coated. Working in batches if needed, arrange leaves on oiled grates; grill, uncovered and flipping often, until leaves are charred in spots, 2 to 5 minutes. Do not let leaves catch on fire; flip leaves often and rotate leaves over grill as needed. Add charred leaves to Chile-Lime Butter mixture in large bowl; gently toss until butter is melted and leaves are evenly coated, about 1 minute. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer leaves to a large plate; sprinkle with Pecan Dukkah and fresh herbs. Serve warm.