Alton Brown Tomatillo Salsa Recipes

SALSA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Place in refrigerator for up to 12 hours for flavor infusion.
• Serve with tortilla chips.

TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Pull the husks from the tomatillos and wash them under cool water until they no longer feel sticky. Cut them into quarters and put them into the work bowl of a food processor. Add the onion and garlic and process until smooth. Add the cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice and process until the jalapeno is finely chopped.
• Scrape the mixture into a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is boiled off and the salsa looks relish-y, about 15 minutes. Cool before using. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. If refrigerated, you may want to add a little salt and/or lime juice to the salsa before serving.

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Add the tomatillos to a baking sheet along with the jalapenos and onion wedges. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and roast about 7 minutes. Turn the vegetables, add the garlic and roast until everything is slightly softened and charred, another 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Peel the garlic and remove the stems and seeds from the jalapenos. Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until still slightly chunky but well combined. Add the cilantro, lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until incorporated. With the processor running, stream in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil until the salsa is slightly runny but not smooth. At this point you can season with additional salt if desired.
• Serve with chips or as a salsa for tacos and burritos.

MEXICAN CHARRED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange tomatillos, chiles de arbol, and garlic in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Continue grilling tomatillos and garlic until they are evenly blackened, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Peel garlic and place in a mortar and pestle. Season with salt and pound into a thick paste. Add chiles; pound until smooth. Add as many tomatillos as you can fit in your mortar; pound until chunky. Transfer salsa to a bowl. Repeat with remaining tomatillos, mixing them into the bowl of salsa in batches.

TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Set up your grill for even medium-high heat. If using a charcoal grill, distribute the coals evenly. If using a gas grill, heat both sides evenly.
• Place the whole tomatillos, scallions and jalapenos on a cooling rack in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the cooling rack on the grill and cook, pulling the cooling rack off the grill to flip the vegetables, until softened and charred on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Using a knife, scrape off the skin from the jalapenos. If you want the salsa to be spicy, leave in the seeds. If you do not, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapenos.
• To a blender or a food processor, add the tomatillos, scallions, jalapenos, cilantro, cumin, garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Blend until a salsa forms. Blend as much as you need to reach the consistency of the salsa you like. Add salt to taste. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the salsa:
• On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.
• For the enchiladas:
• Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large flameproof baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.
• Serve hot with Spicy Black Beans and Yellow Rice, the remaining tomatillo salsa, sour cream and fresh guacamole, if desired.
• In a large pot, soak beans overnight covered in water by 2 inches. Drain and set aside.
• In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1-inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper.
• Put all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

SILKY SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack 3 inches below the broiler and set the broiler to high.
• Toss the tomatillos, pepper and onion with the grapeseed oil in a large bowl. Transfer them to a half-sheet pan and broil until blistered and slightly charred, about 7 minutes. (You'll need to give the pan a shake every now and then to ensure even cooking.)
• Let the charred vegetables cool slightly and then blend them on high with the cilantro and salt until smooth. With the blender still running, add the xanthan gum and blend 10 seconds more.
• Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Always serve at room temperature.

ALTON BROWN'S SALSA

Steps:

• *NOTE: I broke up the dried anchos into pieces and used a clean coffee mill to coarsely grind the chilies.
• To roast the jalapeno you have several options: oven roast, or stovetop roast either in a pan or steamer basket.
• For steamer basket directions, place the chili in the opened basket and place directly on the heating element.
• Turn the heat on to medium flame and dry roast for about 5 minutes or until chili is charred all over, turning occasionally to roast evenly.
• Set the steamer basket aside on a heatproof surface. Cover with a heat resistant bowl or lid and allow to sweat for 10-15 minutes.
• Once cool enough to handle, place the chili under running water and loosen off the skin. Remove the seeds and membrane.
• Mince the chili.
• In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Note: Alton say that the dried ancho chili is not to be dehydrated. Marinating will soften the chili and hydrate it.
• Cover and place salsa in refrigerator for up to 12 hours for flavors to infuse.
• Serve with your favorite chips.
• Prep time does not include marinating.