A Riff On Salsa de Chile Verde

Here is a riff on the famous New Mexican “Green Sauce” using end of season green Corno di Toro peppers and leeks, with a little almonds and maybe some honey for a Spanish inflection. Try this on just about anything from turkey and pork to fish and vegetables such as winter squash, or on eggs or potatoes. The original iteration has a little more heat and Southwest seasonings. Check it out on the website.

INGREDIENTS:

5 green Corno di Toro peppers

3 poblano peppers

2 leeks

3 cloves garlic

Olive oil as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 heaping quarter cup toasted almonds, chopped

½ tablespoon fresh marjoram chopped

¼ teaspoon pimenton de la vera (smoked Spanish paprika)

½ teaspoon each cumin and coriander seeds, ground to powder

1 Meyer lemon, halved for juice, or red wine vinegar as needed

Kime’s Apiary honey as needed-optional

METHOD:

Split leeks lengthwise and rinse out if dirty. Bring a couple inches of water to a boil in a large pot or pan with a lid. Add a steamer and then the leeks. Steam until the leeks can be easily pierced with a toothpick. When the toothpick goes through the leek easily, remove leeks and rub with oil.

Heat the grill very hot. Spray or rub oil lightly all over the exterior of the peppers and the garlic cloves. Put peppers over the hottest part of the grill and blister all over. Put garlic cloves to the cooler outside edge and place the leeks cut side down somewhere in between. Cook the leeks to char a bit and cook both sides until leeks are cooked through. Cook the garlic until it is soft inside the jackets, but not cooked to mush. Cook the peppers all over until uniformly blistered, then transfer them to a bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let steam and cool for 5-10 minutes. Split open the peppers and discard the seeds and ribs, then flip the pepper and scrape charred skin. Put peppers into a blender or processor. Scrape away any heavy charring from the leeks, and cross cut them, then tip into blender. Peel the garlic and chop coarsely. (It may help to lightly oil the knife before assaying this job.) Add garlic to blender, along with herbs and spices, and salt and pepper.

Add a shot of oil to the blender, and around a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Put the top on and pureé thoroughly. If the contents are having a hard time starting up, add a little water or oil at a time until you can spin freely. Once the contents are smoothly pureed, add the almonds and pureé some more until the almonds are finely ground.

At this point you can decide to add the honey or not. Taste the sauce for balance, and decide if you want a little sweetness. If so, warm 2 tablespoons gently to get it runny, then, with the blender running, pour half of it in while the motor is running. Taste, adding more if needed. The idea is to taste the honey as a flavor, not as pure sweetness. There should be a balance of floral and earth. When this is reached, the sauce is done.

Use right away or store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Chef’s Notes: Use this sauce with roast squash (although you could skip the honey for squash), potatoes, shrimp, quail or chicken, pork, or eggs.

Yield: Around 1 pint

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen