Salsas of the World

by Miller, Mark; Quintana, Robert (CON); Edwards, Jon

• ISBN13: 9781423622086
• ISBN10: 1423622081
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-01
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Summary

Mark Miler and Robert Quintana explore the authentic salsas of the world. Though traditionally associated with Mexico, salsas enhance dishes of many different cuisines. This book explores salsas from more than a dozen countries including Mexico, the United States, Italy, France, Thailand, China, Korea, Peru, Hawaii, and more. The recipes range from fresh and easy to hot and sour to smoky and satisfying; they include both the simple and complex, and the mild to red hot. Features more than 100 recipes and 50 beautiful color photographs.

Excerpts

Ranchero Salsa / Mexico

This is the tricolored salsa that you see on most Mexican breakfasts, on top of Sunny Side Up eggs with refried beans on the side and some warm, fresh corn tortillas. You can add more or less of your favorite chiles, and you can use vegetable oil if you like, although the recipe is named after a ranch where they have lots of hearty cooked foods. Do not let the salsa cook too long as you want to keep the individual items layered in texture and flavor. Most ranchero salsas have been sitting on the stove for hours and taste nothing like the simple, fresh version it should be. To make it easier in the morning to assemble breakfast, I usually fry the chiles a day ahead and have them peeled, but individually stored. The reason I use frying in this recipe is that the fire-roasted method is too smoky for eggs and not fresh enough. The fire-roasted tomatoes provide enough smoky, earthy notes. Ranchero Salsa is also good on fried chickenbreasts, pork chops, or grilled fish.

1 cup canola oil

2 poblano chiles

4 serrano chiles

3 Fresno chiles

1 1/ 2 cups fire roasted and pureed Early Girl tomatoes

1/ 2 onion, sliced in strips

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons lard or duck fat

1 teaspoon salt

1/ 2 bunch cilantro, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied

1 1/ 2 cups V8 Spicy Hot tomato juice

Heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F and fry the poblanos, serranos, and Fresnos in a skillet for 2 minutes to blister the skins. When cool enough to handle, peel, deseed, and cut in 1. 8- x 1 1/ 2-inch strips; reserve. Fire roast the tomatoes and puree in a food processor; reserve 1 1/2 cups. Saute the onion and garlic in lard or duck fat, being careful not to brown.

Add the salt, wrapped cilantro, V8 juice, tomato puree, poblanos, and serranos and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cilantro. When cool, add the Fresnos. Yield 3 cups.

Serves 6

Heat level: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8