Courtesy of Kitchen Academy

Yield: approximately 10 cups

• 10 large fresh Anaheim Chiles
• 2 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and diced
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 15 large green onions, chopped
• 5 large serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 10 ounces fresh lime juice

Procedure:

1. Blacken the Anaheim chiles on all sides directly over a gas flame or in a salamander. Put them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let stand ten minutes. Peel, seed and chop chiles.
2. Combine tomatillos, stock, green onions, serrano chiles, and garlic in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture has reduced to a sauce consistency.
4. Transfer mixture to a food processor. Add the Anaheim chiles and cilantro and puree until smooth.
5. Add lime juice and season the salsa with salt and pepper.

Personal Notes: This is a good, basic salsa verde recipe and can be varied in any number of ways to achieve the results you want. First, a couple of specific notes. You don't need a food processor. An immersion blender actually works better. Simmer until tender, immersion blend into a puree and then reduce to a sauce consistency. Also, you most likely won't need all ten ounces of fresh lime juice. Taste the salsa as you add the juice. If you don't need it all, don't use it. Finally, when you season, remember that the salsa will be served cold or at room temperature. Seasoning should be done or rechecked once the salsa cools down.

This salsa has a bit of a bite, but not much. One obvious way to increase the kick is to not remove the membranes and seeds of the chiles. You can also use more and/or different chiles for heat and flavor. Want more roasted flavor? Roast the tomatillos and serranos before adding them. Like your salsa junky? Don't puree it. Dice to the size chunks you like. If you prefer it smoother, run it through a strainer.

This recipe was made for the PCA2 lunch/dinner buffet (Kitchen Academy - Course II - Day 17).