Recipes / Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Raw tomatillos make a sharp, bright salsa. Roasted ones make the deeper, smokier, slightly sweet version most restaurants serve. Same three ingredients, completely different sauce.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 2 jalapeños or 1 serrano, stemmed
- 1/2 white onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1 tsp salt
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Husk the tomatillos and wash them in warm water. Under the husk the skin is coated with a sticky residue, and if you leave it on, the salsa tastes faintly soapy. This is the step people skip.
- Spread the tomatillos, chilies, onion and unpeeled garlic on a sheet pan and broil, turning once, eight to twelve minutes, until blistered and blackened in places.
- Cool five minutes and squeeze the garlic out of its skins.
- Blend with cilantro and salt until smooth. Do not over-blend — whipping air into it turns the color pale and foamy.
- Adjust with lime and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Prep 10 minutes · Cook 15 minutes · Makes about 2 cups
For a milder salsa, remove the chili pith. For a hotter one, leave it. For chile verde, thin this with stock and braise pork in it.
Keeps five days refrigerated and freezes well. See more in chilies and peppers.
