Salsa Roja

Serving 400ml

Ingredients


• 5 tomatoes
• 1 ½ chilli 'Arbol' (stems cut off)
• 1 ½ tbsp sunflower oil
• 1.5 garlic cloves peeled
• 1 tsp salt

Method


1. Sear the tomatoes: put a ‘comal’ (or griddle pan / or frying pan) on the stove on the highest heat. Once the comal is hot add the tomatoes – blacken them on all sides, turning only when the skin side down is blackened. Takes around 15 minutes total. Note: keep the tomatoes with their skins intact
   
   
2. Fry the chillies: whilst the tomatoes are searing you can fry the chillies. Put a small frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan and once the oil is hot, add the de-stemmed chillies and stir them continuously to coat them in the oil - for at most one minute, until they take on a more intense red colour. Be very careful not to burn the chillies - once ready, immediately take the chillies out of the pan and reserve the oil.
   
   
3. Mash: first add the fried chillies with the reserved oil, garlic and salt to the molcajete – mash until it becomes a smooth paste. Then add the tomatoes, one at a time, mashing each into the chilli mix. Continue mashing until you have a salsa with no large lumps. Check for seasoning.
   
   
4. Serve at room temperature