← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 20 g dried chiles de árbol (about 25), stemmed
• 250 g Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• ¼ white onion
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 120 ml Water
• ¾ tsp Salt

Method

1. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat and fry the chillies for 30–45 seconds, stirring, until they darken a shade and smell toasty. Lift them out at once; burnt chillies taste bitter.
2. In a dry pan over medium-high heat, roast the tomatillos, garlic and onion for 10–12 min, turning, until the tomatillos are blackened and slumped.
3. Peel the garlic. Blend everything with the water and salt until fairly smooth.
4. Taste, adding a splash more water if you want it thinner. Cool before serving; it keeps for a week in the fridge.

Tips

• For a milder salsa, use half the chillies and add a toasted guajillo for colour.
• Árbol chilli fumes are strong; open a window while toasting.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Rick Bayless Mexican Please ¡Hola! Jalapeño