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© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless from Mexican Everyday
Servings: About 1 1/4 cups
3 garlic cloves, peeled
4 medium (about 8 ounces total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half
2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo (or more if you like really spicy salsa)
salt
Set a large (10-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (if you don't have a non-stick skillet, lay in a piece of foil). Lay in the garlic and tomatillos (cut side down). When the tomatillos are well browned, 3 or 4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side. (The tomatillos should be completely soft.) Scoop the garlic and tomatillos into a blender jar or food processor, along with the chiles and ¼ cup water. Process to a coarse purée. Pour into a salsa dish and cool. Thin with a little additional water, if necessary, to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Taste and season with salt, usually a generous ½ teaspoon.
Riffs on chipotle Salsa:
You can replace the tomatillos with roasted tomatoes (two 4-ounce plum tomatoes, roasted like the tomatillos, or half a drained 15-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes), but keep in mind that the tomato will tip the flavor toward sweet rather than tangy.
A little cilantro, fresh thyme, or parsley is always welcome, as is green or white onion especially if it's grilled. A splash of mescal (or the less-smoky tequila) makes a borracha (drunken) salsa that's dynamite.
Instead of pureeing the chiles, you can finely chop them and add them to the pureed tomatillo base; they'll show up as little red flecks, and the salsa will be less smoky.