You're gonna need something to do with all these peppers we're pulling out of the fields! We're so excited about pepper season (AKA salsa season) that Will and I basically just made a buffet of salsas for dinner the other night, and I am not mad about it one bit. Here's what we made:
Guacachile
This recipe comes from Bricia Lopez's "Oaxaca" cookbook, and might be our favorite salsa EVER. Though the consistency and color of guacamole, this salsa has no avocados - the creaminess comes from emulsifying the fried serranos! This one packs a punch, so beware if you're spice-averse.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 Blue Leg serrano chiles (100g), stems removed
1/4 cup (25 g) chopped Blue Leg white onion
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Sea salt
Heat the oil in a medium pan over high heat. Once pan is hot, add the chiles and fry them for about 10 minutes. Make sure to move them around so that all sides of all the chiles get blistered and brown. Once the chiles are brown on all sides and their color starts to change to a lighter green, transfer them to a blender and use a spatula to scrape all of the oil in there as well. Add the onion, garlic, 3 tablespoons of water, and the lime juice and blend until smooth. Salt to taste.
Tomatillo-Habanero Salsa
This is a classic green salsa, made better by habaneros. Quantities are rough; start with the following then amend to your liking.
About 1 lb. Blue Leg tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1-4 Blue Leg habanero chiles (depending on spice preference), stems removed, seeds removed if desired
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Broil or grill tomatillos until blistered and color shifts. Add broiled tomatillos and all other ingredients to blender and blend until desired consistency.
Red Salsa with Dried Chilies
Wondering what to do with that bag of dried chilies in your pantry? Will loves to use them in salsas, such as the following:
3-6 Blue Leg dried chilies (chef's choice - cayenne, espelette, chipotle, ancho, etc.)
1 clove garlic
1/2 Blue Leg onion, chopped
About 1-1.5 lbs Blue Leg tomatoes (preferably Roma or Early Girl), chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, rough chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste
Slice chiles lengthwise to open and remove seeds and stem. Open chiles flat in a dry skillet, pressing into the hot pan with a spatula until wisps of smoke appear. Flip chiles and press on other side, being careful not to burn them (just toast).
Land toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
Add chiles to blender with garlic and onion. Pulse until finely chopped. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and salt and pulse until desired consistency. Add lime juice and pulse to mix.