Ensalada de Chucho: Colombian Ray Salad

Ensalada de Chucho is a refreshing, seafood-based salad widely enjoyed across the Colombian Caribbean coast. Utilizing local ray or manta ray meat, it offers a unique, hearty texture that pairs beautifully with a bright, acidic dressing.

The secret to this 45-minute recipe is thoroughly cleaning the ray meat with a citrus soak before boiling it. Once tender, the meat is shredded into strips and left to marinate in a vibrant, fresh mix of tomatoes, onions, vinegar, and lemon juice to absorb all the flavors.

Ensalada de Chucho (Fresh Ray Salad)

A traditional Colombian Caribbean seafood salad! Boiled and shredded ray meat marinated in a fresh citrus and tomato dressing.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Caribbean, Colombian, Latin American

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  

• 3 lbs Ray or Manta ray meat Chucho
• 4 tablespoons Lemon juice
• 3 Ripe tomatoes
• 2 Onions
• 2 tablespoons Vinegar
• 2 Lemons For soaking
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Clean the seafood: The very first step is to wash the ray meat thoroughly with abundant cold water. Place the meat in a bowl covered with water and the juice of 2 lemons, letting it soak for 5 minutes to neutralize any strong, natural odors.
• Boil the meat: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the soaked ray meat and let it cook for approximately 30 minutes until it is completely tender.
• Shred: Remove the cooked meat from the boiling water and let it drain well. Once cool enough to handle, cut or shred the meat into long, thin strips.
• Marinate: In a separate large bowl, prepare the dressing by mixing the 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, the peeled and finely chopped tomatoes, the finely chopped onions, the vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Add the shredded ray meat to this bowl and toss well to ensure every piece is coated and marinating.
• Serve: This refreshing salad is traditionally served over a bed of fresh lettuce leaves, accompanied by classic soda crackers (galletas de soda) or a side of white rice!

Notes

• Local Terminology: In the Colombian Caribbean region, mantarraya (manta ray) is colloquially known, fished, and marketed as chucho.
• Regional Staple: This specific salad is incredibly popular in the coastal departments of La Guajira and Magdalena, with a particularly strong culinary presence in the city of Santa Marta.
• Seafood Variations: While the base recipe focuses strictly on the ray meat, it is very common for coastal cooks to upgrade the salad by folding in other cooked seafood, such as prawns or diced octopus, to make it even heartier.

Keywords Fresh Ray Salad