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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Rick Bayless
Servings: 2 ½ cups
1 pound tomatillos, about 10-12 medium, husked and rinsed
½ ounce fresh serrano chilies to taste, roughly 3, stemmed
1 ½ tablespoons olive or vegetable oil or rich tasting lard
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups chicken broth
⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
salt, to taste ½ to ¾ teaspoon depending on saltiness of broth
The tomatillos and chilies:
The Roasting Method:
Lay the tomatillos and chilies on a baking sheet and place about 4 inches below a very hot broiler. When the tomatillos and chilies blister, blacken and soften on one side, about 5 minutes, turn over and roast the other side.
The Boiling Method
Half fill a medium (2-3 quart) sauce pan with water, salt generously and bring to a boil. Add the tomatillos and chilies and simmer vigorously over medium heat until the tomatillos have softened a little and lost their brightness everywhere except on the indented stem end, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and cool.
Transfer tomatillos, chilies and any accumulated juices to a food processor or blender.
The purée:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a deep, medium-large (9-10 inch) heavy skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer, then scrape the browned mixture into the processor or blender. If using a blender, cover it loosely. Now, pulse whatever machine you're using to reduce the ingredients to a rough-looking purée - smooth enough to hold together but round enough to keep it from that uninteresting baby-food blahness.
Finishing the sauce:
Wipe the skillet clean; then heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. When hot enough to make a drop of the purée sizzle sharply, pour it in all at once and stir constantly for 4 to 5 minutes, as your sauce base sears and sizzles into a darker and thicker mass. (You'll notice that characteristic roasted, tangy aroma fill the kitchen.) Stir in the broth, let return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer briskly until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. (You can check the consistency by spooning a little on a plate: If it looks watery, solids separating quickly from the broth, simmer it longer; if it mounds thickly, stir in a little broth or water.) Stir in cilantro, then taste and season with salt.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 113 Calories; 3g Fat (25.4% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1548mg Sodium. Exchanges: ½ Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; ½ Vegetable.