In the world of Salsas, the sheer variety is immense. I have posted many recipes for all different kinds of them, and yet, there is so many more to write about! I have always said there are as many salsas as there are cooks out there, and that is a very true statement. Each person puts his or her own spin or shall we say “flavour” into their creations.
I have always made poblano salsas in the traditional way - that is, charring the poblanos over live fire until blackened, then steaming them before peeling and deveining. That yields a very smooth and terse sauce that is delicious. Today, though, I decided to simplify the process and create something that can be used in many ways. You can, of course, use this salsa on your tacos, but where this sauce shines is in the classic poblano creamy sauces for either chicken or pasta. The next place I’m going to experiment is using it in an aguachile, but it would also work really well mixed into a chicken broth for a poblano seasoned soup, or cooked into shredded pork carnitas or poblano rice. So many delicious variations in my head!
But who am I to dictate your gastronomic creations? When you make this salsa, go ahead and let your imagination fly. I love that it works on its own or it can be the base for many different dishes. This recipe makes a large batch, enough to use some in your first dish and then freeze the rest for another few later on.
This salsa has just the right amount of spice, that kind of heat that comes on slowly and then just lingers on the tongue… but if you want more, just add more Serranos or Jalapeños to the mix. Up here in Canada, poblanos are never spicy, but wherever you are, it is a good idea to seed and devein them just in case you get the scorcher types like they sometimes are in Mexico.
Go ahead and make a batch of this salsa and taste something that all of us Mexicans adore - Poblano chiles. If you want to see a step by step, visit my Instagram highlights.
Salsa Asada de Chile Poblano
Roasted Poblano Salsa
4 large poblano chiles (500g)
1 large white onion (200g)
4 large tomatillos, husked (200g)
5 Serrano chiles, stemmed (50g), or substitute Jalapeños if you cannot find Serranos
6 large cloves garlic, unpeeled (20g)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro (50g)
1 cup water
Stem, seed and devein poblanos, then cut into 2” chunks. Cut onion into 2” chunks, and quarter tomatillos.
Place poblanos, onion, tomatillos, whole Serranos and unpeeled garlic on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat and roast in a 425°F oven for 30-45 minutes, tossing once or twice, until nice and soft and slightly browned.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Peel garlic cloves and then place all vegetables in blender jar. Add chopped cilantro and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth, adding up to 1/2 cup more water to get to the consistency you want. Taste and adjust salt content.
Makes about 3 cups.