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Recipe: Salsa de Tomatillo y Chile de Arbol

Makes about 2 cups

This salsa keeps well in the fridge for several days but tastes best at room temperature. Tomatillos and chiles de arbol are available at any Latin American grocery and at many supermarkets. Feel free to substitute any other dried chile, from mild ancho to smoky chipotle to fiery pequin.

1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 large cloves garlic, not peeled

8 chiles de arbol, green stems removed

½ teaspoon salt

Water to taste

1. Place an oven rack at the highest position and preheat the broiler. Place the tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil 5 minutes, or until blackened and the skin is splitting. Turn each tomatillo over with tongs and broil 5 more minutes. Transfer the tomatillos and any juice to the bowl of a blender.

2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves to the skillet and toast them, turning occasionally, until the skins are well browned and blistered, about 10 minutes. While the garlic toasts, place the chiles in the same skillet and press down on them with a spatula until you smell a nice toasty chile fragrance, about 10 seconds. Flip the chiles over and toast the other side. Transfer the chiles to a small bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Soak 30 minutes. Peel the garlic cloves.

3. Discard the chile soaking water and add the chiles, garlic and salt to the blender. Blend until smooth, which may take a minute or more. Add up to ½ cup water to bring the salsa to the desired consistency (I like mine pretty thick, but a looser version is quite authentic) and serve.