Late-ripening tomatillos have replaced summer’s steady stream of tomatoes, from my own vines and from the Co-op‘s.
I love the tangy-tart of tomatillos, but I never know what to do with them besides make salsa verde. With the season is so short, though, I guess it’s not a horrible rut to be in.
Using the same roast-then-blend technique as with the red salsa last month, you can whip up a pint or so in less than 20 minutes.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
- 1 pound fresh tomatillos
- 1/2 large white onion, cut into large chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
- 3-5 hot peppers, destemmed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- handful of chopped cilantro (optional)
- fresh lime juice (optional)
Peel the husks from the tomatillos and rinse off any sticky residue.
Cut the tomatillos in half. Arrange in a single layer on a foil-covered, rimmed baking sheet, along with the garlic, onions, and peppers. Sprinkle with salt.
Broil for 4-5 minutes, rotating the pan midway through. At this point, remove to a plate any bits that are already nicely charred (I pulled out the peppers and the garlic).
Return the pan to the broiler, and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the tomatillo skins are well blistered.
Load the works into a blender or food processor, holding back one or two hot peppers. Carefully pulse until you get a chunky salsa. Taste. Add more peppers and/or salt if you want, then pulse again until you get a consistency you like.
Let cool slightly. Add a squeeze of lime juice and stir in the cilantro.
Use as a chip dip, spoon over chicken or fish, or brighten up some scrambled eggs (breakfast burrito, anyone?). Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.
