smoky salsa & guacamole

Salsa & guacamole are common place in Mexico – served everywhere when you order a cocktail. You can have your own festiva at home because smoky tomato salsa & guacamole are easy to make, dare I say – quite authentic & are perfect with a margarita – especially this jalapeno pineapple marg. If you’re entertaining a crowd – you just have to pop these on a table & people can help themselves, then, all that’s required from you is perhaps some chip replenishing.

The salsa is made in a cast iron frying pan. Barring that, a hot grill pan would work, a barbie or whatever you have lurking around that will get hot. The trick is to char the tomatoes, onion, garlic & jalapenos, adding to their smokiness & giving the salsa more flavor. Then it’s into a food processor with the remaining ingredients for a quick blitz.

Keep the guac a little on the chunky side, I think it’s more authentic, not that authenticity is the intention here (you have an Australian, in America, writing a Mexican recipe), guac is just better when left with some visible avocado pieces. And please, don’t skimp on the tortilla chips: make sure they’re big ones that aren’t broken up & have lots of them on hand. Mix up those margaritas – let’s get this party started!

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smoky tomato salsa & guacamole

Jalapeno peppers vary in their heat so perhaps try one jalapeno first then add another if you prefer it hotter. For this recipe I used two jalapeno peppers & two chipotle peppers – the jalapenos didn’t contain a lot of heat. Sometimes they can be hot so best to err on the side of caution to begin. You can always add more. The salsa is best made a day before serving. The guacamole is best made just before or up to an hour ahead of serving; keep covered in the fridge.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 6

Author: Lovoni

Ingredients

SALSA

• 5 medium, vine-ripened tomatoes, cored
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 white onion, peeled & cut into wedges
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 to 2 chipotle pepper plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves & stems (coriander)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

GUACAMOLE

• 4 ripe avocados
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup lemon juice about 2 juicy lemons
• 1 jalapeno, trimmed of stem & diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• tortilla chips to serve

Instructions

To make the salsa:

• Place the tomatoes, jalapenos, onion wedges & garlic into a heated large frying pan – preferably cast iron. Brown, turning occasionally, over medium-high heat until char marks appear all over – removing the garlic first as it will char the fastest. You can also use a grill/barbie for this. When charred, remove the stems from the jalapenos.
• Place tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cilantro, sugar, lime juice, salt & pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture is finely chopped. (how runny the salsa is will vary depending on the tomatoes). Pour into a serving bowl or container & chill for 4 hours or overnight to chill & the flavors to develop. Makes about 4 cups.

To make the guac:

• Halve the avocados, remove the seeds & scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Use a potato masher to mash until chunky. Add the remaining ingredients & stir with a fork until well combined. Spoon into a serving bowl, cover with plastic & chill until ready to serve. Makes about 2 cups.
• Serve with chips.