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As plates of carne asada tacos and refried bean burritos get delivered to the table with a side of laid-back beach vibes by blond haired teenagers, my husband and I are equivocating. These might not be the best tacos, we say, dipping another chip into tangy green tomatillo salsa, this might not be the most authentic food, we say, picking up a burrito stuffed with grilled mahi mahi and pico de gallo, but it’s still quite good.
“What are you talking about?” My parents half scold us. They are visiting from Idaho where they retired after forty years in Southern California. They knew their tacos from their Taco Bell. “This is the best Mexican food we’ve had in a long time.” I dip another chip in the salsa and think they are probably right.
There is a Mexican restaurant near our home where we take nearly all visiting friends and family from out of town. When it comes to the food, it is not my first or even second favorite Mexican restaurant in the area, but you can’t beat the location: right on the beach. Even after the sun goes down you can hear the waves crashing and feel the sea spray as you sip on just right spicy margaritas. A drizzle of salsa on a taco, sliding a fork through the enchilada sauce, I think for nearly everyone we take here, it is better than 99% of what they get back home.
Having spent many years living far away from an abundance of quality Mexican food, I know what it is like to miss the real thing. It’s not that there weren’t restaurants. But how many times did I find myself biting into a $15 dollar taco, paying three times as much money for something half as good as what I had grown up with in California?
My solution in Hong Kong came in the form of the tomatillo. Despite its name, the little green fruit is not a baby tomato at all, but a member of the nightshade family - a husk-cloaked fruit more closely related to the Golden Berry. The tomatillo is native to Mexico and still most widely grown there. However, with a long growing season and solid pest resistance, it is possible find fresh tomatillos for sale during much of the year, as far away as Hong Kong.
I stumbled across fresh tomatillos in Hong Kong’s Central Wet Market. Near stands selling piles of green pak choi and enormous knobs of ginger, a tiny produce shop that supplied local restaurants would occasionally stock a basket of fresh tomatillos, strategically placed near the jalapenos and serrano chilies. When I spotted them, I would scoop up as many as I could hoping to get at least a pound. With a pound I knew I could make a quantity of salsa verde to smother a pan of enchiladas, with enough left over to snack on with chips while we waited for dinner to emerge from the oven.
I may live in California again, but there is still a lot of pleasure in making a fresh tomatillo salsa. Now when much of the Northern Hemisphere is blanketed in snow and ice, the bright acid kick and bite of spice in a salsa verde is just the thing to chase away the gray. Cook the salsa and the tomatillos mellow slightly, transforming into a luscious sauce to simmer chunks of pork shoulder in a pot or an easy tray of chicken breasts in the oven.
Whether homesick or suffering from winter blues, try whizzing up this salsa verde to dip, slather and simmer your way to a happier place. And if you live far away from Mexico or California, it might just be the best Mexican food you’ve had in a long time.
Recipe
Fresh Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Makes about 6 cups
2 lb. fresh tomatillos
2 T. vegetable oil
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
4 green onions, root end trimmed and discarded
4 garlic cloves, peeled, whole
2 whole serrano chilies, stem trimmed and discarded
1 ½ cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 tsp. salt
Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse tomatillos well to remove the sticky film on the skin. Cut each tomatillo in half.
Heat oil a large saute pan over medium high heat. Sear onions, garlic, and chilies in the pan, allowing to blacken lightly on each side. Remove each as done (garlic will cook fastest) and place into blender.
When onions and garlic are all cooked, add half the tomatillos and half the chopped cilantro to the blender along with ½ tsp. of salt. Blend for a minute until smooth. Transfer to a bowl (this is a large quantity so you will blend in two batches). Add remaining tomatillos, cilantro and remaining ½ tsp. of salt to the blender and blend for a minute until smooth. Transfer second patch of puree to the bowl with the first and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary with additional salt. If your tomatillos are too sour, you might add a pinch of sugar for balance. This can store for a week in the refrigerator or freeze half and use for sauce later.
Baked Chicken Breasts in Salsa Verde
Makes about 6 cups
2 ½ T. vegetable oil
1/2 T. ground cumin
1 ¼ tsp. ground coriander
3 cups salsa verde (see recipe of above)
5 T. whole milk yogurt
¼ cup heavy cream
3 – 3.5 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 breasts)
Salt
Pepper
1 cup grated cheddar
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Heat 1 ½ T. oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add cumin and coriander. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add salsa verde to the pan along with 1 cup of water. Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce head to medium low and stir in yogurt and heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary with salt and pepper.
Brush remaining oil over the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Place chicken breasts in a single layer in the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
When salsa verde has come back to a simmer, remove from heat and pour evenly over the chicken breasts. Cover the pan with foil and place in a preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with grated cheese. Bake for another 10 – 20 minutes until cheese is melted and internal temperature of the thickest breast has reached 165°F.
Serve warm with corn tortillas or over rice.
To Drink…
When it comes to salsa verde, it would be hard to find a better pairing than a margarita. This recipe is one I developed for the wonderfully named, shortly lived, cocktail website The Hooch Life. This is strong - not for those who like extra sour mix in their margaritas - but feel free to add a bit of agave nectar if you like yours a tad sweeter.
Spicy Jalapeno Margarita
Serving: 1 cocktail
2 ounces blanco tequila
½ ounce orange liqueur
½ ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
½ ounce lime juice
2 teaspoons minced cilantro
½ teaspoon minced jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed
Garnish: lime wedge and Jalapeno slice
Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass filled with ice. Take a lengthwise slice of jalapeno and cut a slit on one end. Fit the jalapeno on the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and serve.
This dish was one of the best parts of a very happy weekend. Once the chicken is baked, the sauce that surrounds it also tastes great on chips.
This chicken looks so delicious. I’m going to try both recipes.