Salsa Verde | Green Tomatillo Salsa
Whether you choose the verdant, slushy, herby freshness of the all-raw tomatillo salsa or the oil-colored, voluptuous, sweet-sour richness of the roasted version, tomatillos are about brightening tang. The buzz of the fresh hot green chile adds thrill, all of which adds up to a condiment most of us simply don’t want to live without.
- 8 ounces (5 to 6 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- Fresh hot green chiles, to taste (roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed
- 5 or 6 sprigs fresh cilantro (thick stems removed), roughly chopped
- Scant 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
The All-Raw Version
- Roughly chop the tomatillos and the chiles;
- In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos, chiles, cilantro and 1/4 cup water;
- Process to a coarse puree, then scrape 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 a generous 1/4 teaspoon.
The Roasted Version
- Preheat a broiler;
- Roast the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until darkly roasted, even blackened in spots, about 5 minutes;
- Flip them over and roast the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatillos and chiles;
- In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos and chiles, including all the delicious juice that has run onto the baking sheet;
- Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, blend to a coarse puree, and scrape into a serving dish;
- Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove the excess moisture;
- Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon.
