Ingredients for Tomatillo Salsa Verde. Photo and food styling: Judi Orlick
Every so often, I crave fresh salsa verde. Tomatillos have enchanted me since I lived Hell’s Kitchen in the 80s; the first encounter being in the bodega across the street. There sat a large bin of them reflecting the sun through the shop’s window - their fairy wing husks like nothing I’d ever seen before, shaped like a tomato, and the color of a Granny Smith apple. Who knew? It was the start of a long, slow dance.
Tomatillos and tomatoes are very distant relatives; both in the nightshade family. Native to Central America and Mexico, with their papery husks, they’re closer to their cousins, Cape gooseberries or ground cherries. Although technically a fruit, its tart taste and firm texture skew it to the savory vegetable side in the kitchen.
There are a few camps on how to prepare the tomatillos for salsa; raw, boiled, broasted (broil-roasted). My personal preference is for broasting them. As with so many things, roasting concentrates flavors, and the browning and caramelization adds wonderful depth. The broiler speeds things up and adds some char, which is beloved in our home.
This goes with, well, everything. Its yummers at practically any meal. Versatile, its a dip, a condiment, and a base for countless other dishes, like my vegetarian comfort casserole we call, “The Good Stuff”. Put this salsa verde on top of brisket tacos with a little crema, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime and join me in being enchanted by tomatillos. xojo
Broil-roasted tomatillos and garlic cloves ready for the blender.
Photo and food styling: Judi Orlick
Ingredients
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and halved
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup white onions, diced
2 Jalapeño peppers, stemmed and halved
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 cup Cilantro (stems, too!), rinsed, dried, and coarse lay chopped
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Directions
With the baking rack at the top of the oven, set broiler to high.
Place tomatillos and garlic cloves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and broil in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the tomatillo tops are dark and charred. Remove to a cooling rack and let sit. Once cool enough to handle, the garlic skin will easily peel away from the cloves.
For a milder salsa verde, remove the seeds and membrane from the jalapeños. If you like more heat, leave them in.
In a blender or food processor, add the lime juice, cilantro, jalapeños, onion, tomatillos, and garlic. Blend until smooth. A little chunky is ok. Season to taste with salt, transfer to a covered bowl or jar, and chill until ready to serve. Keeps in the fridge for about a week.