Recipe of the Day: Chiltomate

I came across this recipe for a tomato-habanero salsa (aka chiltomate) in the outstanding cookbook Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibañez. The thing I like about this cookbook is that it teaches a lot of basic Mexican cooking techniques and how to apply them to simple, fresh, and elegant Mexican dishes that aren't too intimidating. He focuses on guacamoles, salsas, moles, and adobos, along with main course meals focusing on these staples.

I wanted to try a simple salsa that would be spicy and this recipe fit the bill. It is similar to the basic salsa served with baskets of tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants, except it has a unique fruitiness and y'all....it is HOT. And delicious. It goes great with scrambled eggs at breakfast, too.


Ingredients
1 1⁄2 lb. tomatoes, cored
1 habanero chile, stemmed
1 tsp. kosher salt or 1/2 tsp. fine salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
dash or two of sugar (optional)

2 tbsp. olive oil
1⁄2 small white onion, minced

Directions
Heat oven to 500°. Place tomatoes and chile on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast, without turning, until chile is browned in spots, about 10 minutes; transfer chile to a blender, and continue roasting tomatoes until blackened and cooked through, about 20 minutes more. Let tomatoes cool and then peel and place in blender along with salt and garlic; puree until smooth.

Heat oil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add purée, and bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered and stirring often, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Directions from a similar recipe from Saveur magazine