There was just enough sun in Calgary this past family day weekend we decided to fire up the BBQ and make this charred tomatillo salsa with yellow corn tortilla chips.
If you are in Calgary, you can find tomatillos almost all year round at Uni Market, a Latin American food market carrying a wide variety of grocery items. You can also find the dried chilis and fresh yellow corn tortillas for this recipe there. Happy cooking.
Chef notes:
We roast the peppers and tomatillos over the fire pit in the summer to give the salsa a smokier flavor.
Specialty equipment:
Outdoor Grill
Mortar and pestle
Deep fryer
Yield: serves 4
Preparation time: 1½–2 hours
Cook time: 1 hour
Tomatillo Salsa
1½ lbs fresh tomatillos
1 yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
1 jalepeño pepper
1 orange habenero pepper
1 Roma tomato
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 dried hot chili pepper, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp True Lime (crystalized lime)
2 tsp salt
Juice of ½ a lime
10–15 5½-inch yellow corn tortillas
For the salsa
Preheat an outdoor grill on high heat.
Peel the skins off the tomatillos and the onion.
Put the whole onion onto the grill for about 10 minutes, rotating occasionally.
Then add the bell pepper, jalapeño, habanero, and Roma tomato to the grill.
Continue to cook and rotate the vegetables until the skins are charred.
Remove them as they are done into a large bowl. Turn off the grill.
Let cool slightly then remove the skins and seeds from the peppers.
Chop all the vegetables small and place them into a large mixing bowl with the dried chili and garlic.
Add the cumin and coriander seeds to a small pan on high heat.
Cook the seeds, constantly moving the pan, until they are toasted. Turn off the heat.
Grind the toasted seeds into a powder and add them to the mixing bowl.
Add the true lime, salt, and lime juice and mix to combine. Set aside.
Finishing the plate
Preheat a deep fryer to 350°F.
Cut the tortillas into 6 equal parts.
Drop the tortillas into the fryer and cook for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Do this in batches so the oil doesn't cool which would cause the chips to become greasy.
Season the chips with salt as they come out of the fryer and serve with the tomatillo salsa. Enjoy!
©chefalisonbiebs