I love making salsa. It’s what I call one of those “concept” foods. Once you understand the concept behind its concoction, you can go crazy creating combinations. Years ago I made a simple mango salsa that was the perfect foil to a shrimp, Jack, sweet potato empanada– honestly the empanadas were great too.
Tomatillos have always intrigued me, and I’ve always enjoyed green salsa. When the grocery store was having a sale on tomatillos, I decided to give it a go. Here’s the results
Tomatillo Salsa
- 4 tomatillos, roasted (see notes below)
- 5 mild chili peppers (ancho, poblano, anaheim, etc), roasted (see notes below), peeled, seeded, chopped or substitute a can of chopped chilis
- 1 T. olive oil
- 4 medium, ripe tomatoes, chopped – optional if you’re not sure about the pure tomatillo taste.
- 3 cayenne peppers, or 1-2 jalapenos (more or less, to taste) ir cayenne powder or canned jalapenos. If you want a milder salsa, roast a yellow bell pepper.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 med red mall onion, chopped
- Juice and grated zest of 1 lime (1 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 t. fresh thyme
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. black pepper
- 1 t. brown sugar
Method
Heat oil and saute garlic and mild chili peppers until garlic is golden brown. Add oil, garlic plus everything but the tomatillos and optional tomaties to an electric chopper, food processor, or use an immersion blender and puree. Add tomatillos and optional tomatoes and pulse to chop them finely into the mixture. Mix well and chill. Makes about 2 cups. Serve with your favorite chip or toasted pita wedges. Also makes a dandy accompaniement for any Mex-Tex dish.
Notes: To roast tomatillos and peppers, first remove and discard the tomatillo husks. Rinse both well. Rub tomatillos and peppers lightly with olive oil. Put tomatillos in a pie tin and put under broiler. Peppers can go directly on another tray under the broiler. Cook until they almost burst, then turn them and continue until nearly burnt on the other side. Be sure to use the seeds and juice that cook out of the tomatillos, too. Thin fleshed peppers like these do not need to be peeled completely. Just get off what you can, usually the burnt pieces. Peel a roasted bell pepper by covering the roast pepper with pot lid or anything that will hold in the steam. After about 10 minutes, the skin will slough off easily.