Roasted Tomatillo Salsa by Rick Bayless
For anyone out there who has a garden, and loves salsa verde (if you don’t - what? why?), save some space for tomatillos. They’re a real confidence booster if you’re a well known plant killer. As long as you plant two (for pollination purposes), you literally can’t stop the tomatillo train once it starts moving. Jalapeño peppers on the other hand? Somehow mine eat dirt every year. Go figure. Salsa garden incomplete without them.
So after a few seasons of growing these beauts, I’ve dabbled with quite a few salsa verde recipes and have identified some keepers. First up? Rick Bayless’s Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. It’s simple, spicy, and has depth of flavor that you’ll never find in the jarred stuff.
Enjoy it with some chips, over grilled flank steak or veggies, and a taco or two. Buen provecho!
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa - salsa verde
By: Rick Bayless
Ingredients:
8 ounces (3 to 4 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (1 or 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
6 sprigs of fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off), roughly chopped
1 small white onion, finely chopped
Salt
Directions:
Roast the tomatillos, chile(s) and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, until blotchy black and softening (they’ll be turning from lime green to olive), about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side.
Note: I just used my grill pan! Either one works well. You just want to make sure that you give them enough time to char (without setting off your fire alarm).
Cool, then transfer everything to a blender, including all the delicious juice the tomatillos have exuded during roasting.
Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, then blend to a coarse puree. Scoop into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture.
Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually 1/2 teaspoon.