Salt And Vinegar Salsa Verde
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Casey Elsass shares a recipe from his cookbook “What Can I Bring?” It’s bright, tangy and the perfect addition to any spread of starters. Here’s Elsass on his salt and vinegar salsa verde:
Let me just get out in front of this before it becomes a scandal: This is not a salt-and-vinegar-flavored salsa, although that sounds incredible. This is a very easy and classic blend of the usual suspects — tomatillo, lime, onion and cilantro, plus one special ingredient to make sure the salsa is as verde as possible. But back to the recipe title: It’s because I refuse to eat it with anything other than salt-and-vinegar chips. I know, tortilla chips are already perfect with salsa, and you’re right to say that. Just trust me — a salt-and-vin chip is an even more perfect partner for the natural acidity of the tomatillos. They really make this salsa sparkle with a huge pop of flavor!
Note: Whenever you need a blended sauce to stay vibrant, drop in an ice cube! The ice crystals shock the cilantro and keep this salsa looking bright and fresh.
Peel the papery skins off the tomatillos and rinse them well under cold water to remove the bitter, sticky residue. (It’s okay if they’re still a little sticky after rinsing.) Cut the tomatillos into quarters. Add half of them into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to break them up and get some liquid going. Add the rest of the tomatillos, but don’t blend yet.
Roll the limes with your palm to release the juices. Cut them in half and squeeze them into the blender.
Add the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, salt, coriander (if using) and ice cube. Pulse 4 to 6 times, stopping at some point to scrape down the sides, until the salsa is a little chunky but mostly smooth.
Pour into a serving bowl and wrap tightly with plastic. Refrigerate until you’re ready to go, or up to 1 day ahead of time. Serve — and I’m sorry, again, this is nonnegotiable — with salt-and-vinegar chips.
For can’t-stop salsa, here’s my secret: 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon MSG. (It’s okay, it’s not the ’90s anymore, we can use it!)
