The blackened char of tomatillos and peppers adds so much depth of flavour to this classical Mexican salsa. Foodie puritans might achieve this over direct flame in the traditional manner, but the broiler works just as well. Enjoy this salsa with corn chips, or add it to nearly any Mexican dish. It’s perfect for parties at the height of summer, but it’s pretty amazing in the middle of winter, too. Classic Salsa Verde is made with minimal ingredients, and takes less than half an hour to prepare. It has a luxurious sweetness and mouth feel. This recipe produces about 2 cups of salsa.
Ingredients:
4 – 6 ripe tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and dried
1 – 2 serrano chilies (with seeds) or to taste
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 cup cilantro leaves & stems, roughly chopped (about one bunch)
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ripe avocado, pitted and roughly chopped
Method:
Pre-heat the broiler with a rack at the very top of the oven. Arrange the tomatillos, chilies, and unpeeled garlic on a baking tray or walled cookie sheet. Once the broiler is hot, place these vegetables directly under the heat for five to ten minutes, until the skins are generously charred black. Pull out the tray, turn the vegetables, and blacken the other sides. They will be quite hot when they come out, so allow them to cool. Remove the papery peel from the garlic and the stems (if any) from the chilies and tomatillos.
Place the blackened tomatillos, chilies, and garlic into a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro, white onion, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Process the contents thoroughly — let the blender run on high speed for two minutes or longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the chopped avocado pieces and process again until the salsa is smooth and creamy.