Had a chance to get together with Chuck this past weekend. Brought a few libations and chips-n-salsa. It was received so well that I was asked for the recipe. Here's a general direction:
Apricot-Peach Salsa |
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- 3 large red tomatoes
- 2 apricots (substitute mangos if you prefer)
- 2 white peaches (substitute mangos if you prefer)
- 4T fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1T fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1/4C extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4C honey
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 1/4C green onions
- TT garlic, cayenne, chipotle, salt pepper
- Tortillas, freshly deep fried and salted (Corn or Flour)
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- Grab your knife skills and work a nice small dice on everything. Keep in mind, that you'll want to have enough room on a chip for the main ingredients: tomatoes, onions, fruit. {You in the back that yelled concasse. Save that for Italian Night, which we will get to in short order.
- Finely chop the fresh herbs. This is a great opportunity to hone the knife skills. If you must, use a food processor to get a fine mince. {Side note: When mincing herbs and aromatics you can go a step further and make a paste. Get the ingredient as fine as you can. Use a machine if needed. You may wish to rinse the ingredient to add a bit of moisture. Using a wood* cutting board, spread the ingredient out thinly. Dash a small amount of coarse sea salt and work it into the ingredient using the flat side of a chef's knife. Hold the blade at a slight oblique to the board and press the salt and herb as you slide the blade past. Work back and forth, each time flopping blade to make an acute angle. The salt will grind the ingredient and begin to form a paste. Keep working it until you have a homogenous paste. End Side Note}
- Strain the diced tomatoes in a colander. You'll want to remove a good portion of the water. After all, you want salsa not tomato juice.
- Combine everything else and season to-taste. Add more of whatever you like. Keep in mind that the temperature of the salsa will affect its flavor. As the food warms, its flavors will become more pronounced. {Don't believe me, try this: Grab two cans of light beer. Place one in the freezer and chill it to just above freezing. Place the other on the counter and let it warm to room temperature. Taste the two and report back to me.}
- Let the salsa sit for a few hours. allowing the flavors to open up.
- Grab your fry-daddy and heat enough oil to cover the chips. Quarter the tortillas and drop them into the oil after it gets to 400ºF. Remove once golden in color and place on a surface to cool. Lightly salt them before they dry {that way the salt sticks}.
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* Use wood cutting surfaces exclusively. Ceramic cutting boards will dull your blades and they lack friction, which makes them unsafe. Plastic boards can deteriorate, leaving plastic in your food. Be mindful of sanitation and use wood.
Comments
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Posted by: Backlinks | January 10, 2010 6:51 PM