Alton Brown's Salsa

Cookgirl's Note:

From his Good Eats cooking program on Food Network. This salsa recipes uses fresh, roasted and dried chiles. Alton very cleverly used a steamer basket to roast the chilies on the stove top and a pair of standard kitchen scissors to cut the dried chiles! Just one or two very minor changes were made by me.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 6 firm roma tomatoes, chopped small
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (I used one jalapeno and one serrano)
• 1 jalapeno, roasted, skinned and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, membrane removed, finely diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced small
• 2 dried ancho chiles, seeded, cut into short strips and snipped into small pieces (read *NOTE)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juice of
• chili powder, to taste (I didn't use)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh scallions or fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, to taste

Directions:

1. *NOTE: I broke up the dried anchos into pieces and used a clean coffee mill to coarsely grind the chilies.
2. To roast the jalapeno you have several options: oven roast, or stovetop roast either in a pan or steamer basket.
3. For steamer basket directions, place the chili in the opened basket and place directly on the heating element.
4. Turn the heat on to medium flame and dry roast for about 5 minutes or until chili is charred all over, turning occasionally to roast evenly.
5. Set the steamer basket aside on a heatproof surface. Cover with a heat resistant bowl or lid and allow to sweat for 10-15 minutes.
6. Once cool enough to handle, place the chili under running water and loosen off the skin. Remove the seeds and membrane.
7. Mince the chili.
8. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Note: Alton say that the dried ancho chili is not to be dehydrated. Marinating will soften the chili and hydrate it.
9. Cover and place salsa in refrigerator for up to 12 hours for flavors to infuse.
10. Serve with your favorite chips.
11. Prep time does not include marinating.