CHARRED TOMATILLO JAEW

Charred Tomatillo Jaew image

This is a Mexi-Thai salsa with a powerful scent and incredible flavor and came to The Times from the chef Quealy Watson, who serves it at his San Antonio restaurant, Hot Joy. ''I usually like to make it pretty obnoxious when it comes to the fish sauce,'' Watson told us. So we add it to taste, a tablespoon or so at a time. If you don't have access to a grill, you can use your broiler or even a stovetop flame to char the tomatillos and jalapeños. It is excellent as an accompaniment to barbecued or grilled meats and folds into a taco nicely.

Provided by Sam Sifton

Time 20m

Yield Serves 6-8

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

2 medium-size onions, peeled and halved
8 tomatillos, husks removed
4 jalapeño peppers
4 dried guajillo chiles
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 stalks lemongrass, tender part only, peeled, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 tablespoon palm or light-brown sugar
6 to 8 tablespoons fish sauce
6 to 8 tablespoons lime juice

Steps:

Set broiler to high or light an outdoor grill. Cook the onions, tomatillos and jalapeños under or over the heat until they are charred, then set aside. Meanwhile, toast the guajillo chiles on a lower rack of the oven or off to the side of the grill, turning occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes.
Crumble guajillos into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse a few times to create crumbs. Add the jalapeños, then the garlic, lemongrass and palm sugar, and pulse a few times to combine. Add the onions, then the tomatillos, and run the machine until you have a thick salsa.
Add fish sauce and lime juice a few tablespoons at a time, adjusting the taste as you go. Covered, the jaew will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 46, UnsaturatedFat 0 grams, Carbohydrate 10 grams, Fat 0 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 1240 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams