Cooked Tomatillo Salsa

Salsa Verde

Makes: About 2 cups

Time: 30 minutes

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Salsa verde is an all-purpose salsa that keeps in the fridge for at least a week. Spoon it onto scrambled eggs and roll in a flour tortilla with a little cheese, or serve a bowlful with tamales (page 394), or, of course, chips.

To keep it on the mild side, substitute another poblano for the hot chile. But if in-your-face heat is what you’re looking for, add even more hot chiles and/or some of their seeds.

• 10–12 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 medium poblano or other mild fresh green chiles, roasted and cleaned (see page 228)
• 1 or 2 serrano or other hot fresh green chiles, roasted and cleaned (optional)
• 3 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
• 1 cup vegetable stock (pages 97–100) or water
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the tomatillos on a baking sheet and roast until the skins are lightly browned and blistered, about 20 minutes. Remove the tomatillos; when they’re cool enough to handle, chop them finely, along with the chiles, saving their juices.
2. While the tomatillos are roasting, put the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatillos, chiles, oregano, stock, and a large pinch of salt and pepper; stir and bring to a low simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Bring back to room temperature before serving.)

Green Enchilada Sauce For Cheese Enchiladas (page 561): Use an immersion blender to purée the finished sauce in the pan. Or cool the mixture slightly, pour into a blender or food processor, and purée carefully.

Green Chile Salsa Milder and simpler: Omit the tomatillos and serranos; increase the chiles to 5 poblanos. Decrease the stock to ¼ cup, more or less, as needed. Proceed with Steps 1 and 2; then use an immersion blender to purée the salsa. Or cool the mixture slightly, pour into a blender, and purée carefully. Proceed with Step 3. This salsa will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for a couple of days.

Pumpkin Seed Sauce Thick, with a toasted nut flavor like green mole, only much easier: Toast or roast 1 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas; see page 299) and pulse them several times in a food processor until finely chopped. Add them to the onion-garlic mixture in Step 2 along with 1 tablespoon minced fresh epazote if you like.