Roasted Jalapeño-Tomato salsa with fresh cilantro This is our salsa closest to the classic home-style Mexican salsa de molcajete that's made from roasted garlic and chiles pounded in a lava-rock mortar (molcajete) with roasted tomatoes. Even though we've updated the equipment for the modern American kitchen, that perfect blend of sweetness (roasted garlic and tomatoes) and raciness (roasted jalapeños) is what you'll spoon out. The final addition of fresh cilantro and a drizzle of vinegar focuses the whole experience: This is just what most Americans wish they were getting when they open a jar with that ubiquitous "salsa" label. Made with plum tomatoes, your salsa will have a more homogeneous texture -- just right for using the salsa as an ingredient in other dishes. Because round tomatoes give a looser texture, choose them when you want a condiment to set on the table.
FOR 2 1/2 CUPS
Ripe tomatoes, preferably plum
1 1/2 pounds (about 10 medium plum)
Fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed
2 to 3 (1 to 1 1/2 ounces)
White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 small (2 ounces)
Garlic cloves, peeled
4
Water
about 1/4 cup
Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
1/3 cup
Salt
1 generous teaspoon
Cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons
FOR 5 CUPS
Ripe tomatoes, preferably plum
3 pounds (about 20 medium plum)
Fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed
4 to 6 (2 to 3 ounces)
White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 small (4 ounces)
Garlic cloves, peeled
8
Water
about 1/2 cup
Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
2/3 Cup
Salt
2 generous teaspoons
Cider vinegar
1 tablespoon
FOR 7 1/2 CUPS
Ripe tomatoes, preferably plum
4 1/2 pounds (about 3O medium plum)
Fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed
6 to 9 (3 to 4 1/2 ounces)
White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium (6 ounces)
Garlic cloves, peeled
12
Water
about 1/4 cup
Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
I cup
Salt
1 generous tablespoon
Cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons
- Heat the broiler. Lay the whole tomatoes and jalapeños out on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set the pan 4 inches below the broiler and broil for about 6 minutes, until darkly roasted -- even blackened in spots -- on one side (the tomato skins will split and curl in places). With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatoes and chiles and roast the other side for another 6 minutes or so. The goal is not simply to char the tomatoes and chiles but to cook them through while developing nice roasty flavors. Set aside to cool.
- Turn the oven down to 425 degrees. Separate the onions into rings. On a similar pan or baking sheet, combine the onion and garlic. Roast in the oven, stirring carefully every couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully browned and wilted (even have a touch of char on some of the edges) and the garlic is soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. Cool to room temperature.
- For a little less rustic texture or if you're canning the salsa, pull off the peels from the cooled tomatoes and cut out the "cores" where the stems were attached, working over your baking sheet so as not to waste any juices. In a food processor, pulse the jalapeños (no need to peel or seed them) with the onion and garlic until moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to keep it all moving around. Scoop into a big bowl. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree the tomatoes -- with all the juice that has accumulated around them -- and add them to the bowl. Stir in enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonabie consistency. Stir in the cilantro.
- Taste and season with salt and vinegar, remembering that this condiment should be a little feisty in its seasoning. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days. If you're canning or freezing the salsa, please see page 21.
Variation:
Roasted Habanero-Tomato Salsa:
To make this very spicy, distinctively flavored salsa, replace the jalapeños with 2/4/6 stemmed habanero chiles (here I prefer the fruitier flavor of the orange habaneros to the less ripe -- even grassy -- flavor of the greens).
Other Fresh Chile Possibilities:
Habanero (orange or green), serrano, Santa Fe, Fresno, fresh pequin, Hungarian wax, fresh arbol, cayenne, Tabasco, as well as most small hot fresh chiles.
Dishes You Can Make With This Salsa:
Salsa-Baked Coat Cheese (page 41), Classic Red Tomato Rice (page 62), Breakfast Enchiladas (page 68), Today's Macaroni and Cheese (page 72), Toasty Fideos (Vermicelli) with Roasted Tomato, Black Beans and Chard (page 74), Spicy Jalapeño Beef Tips (page 97). Seared Sea Scallops with Jalapeño Cream (page 106)
Copyright © 1998 by Richard Lane Bayless
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with serranos, roasted onions and cilantro
The native American husk-covered "tomato" known as tomatillo (it's a relative of the vining little ground cherry that grows wild all over the United States) is tang personified. But when you roast it, you mellow its precocious flavor into zesty richness. Serrano chiles deliver a fresh-green bite, while cilantro adds just the right herbal punch. If you've shied away from green salsas, finding them acrid and briny, try this very fresh tasting roasted tomatillo salsa and you'll be won back.
For 2 cups
Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 pound (7 medium)
Fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
4 to 5 (3/4 to 1 ounce)
White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 small (4 ounces)
Garlic cloves, peeled
3
Water
about 1/2 cup
Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
1/3 cup
Salt
about 1 teaspoon
Sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon
For 4 cups
Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 pounds (about 14 medium)
Fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
8 to 10 (1 1/2 to 2 ounces)
White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large (8 ounces)
Garlic cloves, peeled
6
Water
about 1 cup
Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
2/3 cup
Salt
about 2 teaspoons
Sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons
For 6 cups
Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
3 pounds (21 medium)
Fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
12 to 15 (2 1/2 to 3 ounces)
White onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium (12 ounces)
Garlic cloves, peeled
9
Water
about 1 1/2 cups
Chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
1 cup
Salt
about 1 tablespoon
Sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon
- Heat the broiler. Lay the whole tomatillos and serranos on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set the pan 4 inches below the broiler and let roast until the tomatillos are softened and splotchy black in places (the skins will split), about 5 minutes; your goal is to cook the tomatillos through while they roast, which means they'll change from light bright green to olive green on the top side. With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatillos and chiles and roast the other side for another 4 to 5 minutes or so. Set aside to cool.
- Turn the oven down to 425 degrees. Separate the onion into rings and, on a similar pan or baking sheet, combine them with the garlic. Place in the oven. Stir carefully every couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully browned. (They're going to look wilted and translucent, even have a touch of char on some of the edges.) The garlic should feel soft and be browned in spots. The total roasting time will be about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
- In a food processor, place the onion-garlic mixture and the serranos, and pulse until moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to keep it all moving. Scoop the mixture into a large bowl. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree the tomatillos with their juice -- no need to peel off their darkened skin or cut out their cores. Stir them into the chiles. Stir in enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Stir in the cilantro.
- Taste and season highly with salt. Taste again and, if you like, add just enough sugar to take the edge off the bright tanginess of the tomatillos. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour it into a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days. If you're canning or freezing the salsa, please see page 21.
Other Fresh Chile Possibilities:
Jalapeño, Santa Fe, Fresno, fresh pequin, finger hots, Hungarian wax.
Dishes You Can Make With This Salsa:
Tangy Green Guacamole (page 40), Emerald Corn Chowder (page 53), Tangy Lentil Salad (page 58), Scalloped Potatoes (page 64), Open-Face Chorizo Potato Omelet (page 67), Tomatillo-Baked Chicken Breasts (page 85), Tomatillo-Braised Pork Loin (page 98), Green Chile Crab Cakes (page 107)
Copyright © 1998 by Richard Lane Bayless