Authentic green salsa with oven-roasted tomatillos, and dried arbol chilies. The smokey flavor added by lightly charring them makes this recipe stand out. Tomatillos add a layer of sweetness to the flavor of the salsa. This restaurant quality Mexican salsa will impress your friends. I won a salsa contest with it.

It’s really important if you cook in a tiny kitchen to narrow down your appliances to those that can perform many functions. If you have a bigger kitchen and have the countertop space and the money to spend, by all means get a Molcajete. If you already have a food chopper, use that.

Another trick is charring the tomatillos and arbol chilies. The tiny kitchen way to do it is to quickly pan sear the tomatillos in a cast iron skillet on very high heat or broil them in the oven with a bit of oil so they don’t stick. The skins should lightly char and will start to crack. You will get a very aromatic smokiness. You want to take care and not cook them. It’s important that the salsa has a fresh, raw taste and good texture. If you happen to have an outdoor gas grill then you can char them on that and skip the pan or broiler. This may take some practice. Don’t worry, you can still eat your mistakes. Use a butane torch on the dried arbol chilies until you can smell the aroma but do not burn them.

I always keep more than one type of refillable butane torches around. They are not only good for cooking inside, but for starting a BBQ or fire pit outside in the wind.

EQUIPMENT: Ninja blender, butane torch, cast iron skillet, wooden cutting board, chef’s knife

Green Tomatillo Salsa

Recipe by Anna Stockel Cuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Average

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tomatillos

• 2 dried arbol chilies

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1/2 white onion, cut into 4 wedges

• 4 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

• Briefly soak tomatillos in room temperature water until skins peel away easily. Remove skins and discard.
• Pan toast, broil, or grill tomatillos. Place in a bowl to cool. Reserve liquid.
• Use a butane torch to lightly toast arbol chilies. Stop as soon as you smell smokiness. Remove stems and finely chop with a very sharp knife. Don’t discard seeds.
• Add salt, garlic, chilies with seeds, and 1/4 cup of liquid from tomatillos to Ninja blender smoothie cup. Pulse until a fine texture is achieved. Add more liquid if needed.
• Add onion and pulse until a small dice is achieved. Add more liquid if needed. Use a spatula to transfer contents to large blender.
• Add tomatillos to blender and pulse until desired chunkiness. Add more liquid if needed.
• Taste and correct salt. If more heat is desired add your favorite green hot sauce.
• Serve in a decorative bowl topped with the cilantro. Accompany with chips or vegetables, such as endive lettuce scoops. Or add to your favorite dish. Freshly made salsa amps the flavor of any protein, whether it be cooked Mexican or American style.