Here’s a riff on a salsa I do that is usually made with mint as the dominant herb. This has cilantro instead, with an addition of mint as an option, and is a sprightlier version of the salsa. It’s good with chips, but really it goes with so much more.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fairly firm, ripe tomatoes* (around 4 large or 6-8 medium) 1 small-medium brown onion 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 jalapeño chiles 1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped -Optional-½ cup mint leaves, finely chopped Juice of 1 (or 2) lime Zest of 1 lime, minced
METHOD:
Heat the grill, and over medium-high heat (or under the broiler) cook the tomatoes to blacken the skin and barely cook the interior of the tomato and give a roasted aroma. When done, set aside.
Cut the onion in half through the equator, and place the cut side onto the grill and cook until thoroughly blackened. Then flip the onion and continue to blacken the rest of the onion, with the skin still on.
Optional-you can roast the chiles on the grill with the onion if you wish. It is a mood thing for me. The flavor of the unroasted jalapeños is a little more assertive, and the texture of the raw chiles lends a little spicy crunch.
While the onion cooks, scrape off the skin from the tomatoes. It’s okay to have some of the charred bits still on.
Slice the tomatoes through the equator and shake out the seeds. If needed, use the tip of a finger to get them out. Use a sharp knife to cut up the tomatoes into a medium dice.
When the onions are charred and cooled enough to handle, use the edge of a knife to scrape the char from the flat sides of the onion, then peel the onion and scrape away any large blackened bits. Cut the onion halves through the ends to arrive at four pieces, then dice the onion so the pieces are the same or smaller than the tomato. You should have around half the volume of the tomato.
Seed the chiles and mince. Scrape the skin off if you charred the chilies.
In a non-reactive bowl, mix the tomatoes, onions, chilies, and garlic. Add the lime juice and toss some more. Add in the zests and toss to mix well. Add an optional pinch of kosher salt, toss, then add the herbs.
Taste for balance. You might need a little more juice.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
*You can use any good tomato, but this salsa is quite pretty made with multi-colored “heirloom” tomatoes. Just remember to use tomatoes that are firm-you want the meatier types rather than the ones that tend to be wetter.
An optional method for chopping this salsa is to place the tomatoes and onions in coarse chunks into a food processor with everything else minced and pulse a few times to get the desired consistency.
This salsa is great on chips, but is wonderful on things like grilled swordfish, whole roasted fish, roast chicken, or used on tacos.
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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