PICO DE GALLO CHOPPED FRESH SALSA

Posted by David Gonyea on November 17th, 2019

A lot of people who haven’t been exposed to a wide variety of Mexican foods think of pico de gallo when they think of salsa. This is the chunky one made from chopped raw tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and chile (if you want it spicy). A lot of times, in the United States, pico de gallo comes in sealed plastic tubs where all of the ingredients have faded to a uniform and unappealing pink color. Don’t bother. I only make this salsa when there are tomatoes worth eating raw, which in the United States means during the summer. I also only make it on the day I’m going to eat it, as close to the start of that meal as possible. Like a salad, it will wilt by the hour. But also like a salad, the fresher and better the ingredients, the fresher and better it will taste.

You’ll notice that white onions show up all the time in Mexican cooking. Why “white” onions? Because that  is the kind  of onion  commonly  found  across Mexico. They tend to be sharper than the slightly sweeter yellow onions and are also a bit more tender. Different onions can be substituted without great variation in the result, and you may find that the change actually works to the advantage of a recipe and makes it your own. Just note that if you use red onions, they are likely to change the color of a dish. A salsa brava made with red onions, something I often do on purpose, is lovely. But if I have a white-fleshed fish and want to make a ceviche, I wouldn’t use a red onion and risk dyeing the fish pink (unless I wanted that result).

MAKES 2 CUPS / 480ML

½ avocado, cut in half, pitted, and diced

½ white onion, diced

3 Roma tomatoes, cored and diced

1 Tbsp minced cilantro leaves

1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, veins removed (or not, depending on how spicy you want this to be), and minced, plus more as needed (optional)

Juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt, plus more as needed

In a bowl, gently stir the avocado, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, chile, lime juice, oil, and salt. Taste and add more chile or salt if needed. Serve immediately.

SALSA BRAVA “FIERCE” SALSA

The abundant habanero chile infusing slivered onion makes this salsa fiercely hot. Soaked in equal parts olive oil and lime juice, with a good amount of salt and oregano, this all-purpose condiment adds a tangy burst of heat to whatever it touches. Recently, I opened a jar of this salsa that had gone fizzy, turning the contents into a fermented salsa brava, which I knew was safe to eat because it had been kept refrigerated. It was delicious, like a Mexican kimchee. Not a morsel went to waste.

Whenever working with chiles, I strongly encourage you to wear rubber gloves. This is particularly important when handling the potent habaneros. You don’t want the oil from the chile to get into cuts on your hands or to accidentally transfer to your eyes when you rub them.

MAKES 3 CUPS / 720ML

2 habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded, veins removed (or not, depending on how spicy you want this to be), and thinly sliced

1 large white or red onion, thinly sliced

Heaping 1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sea salt

¼ cup / 60ml freshly squeezed lime juice

¼ cup / 60ml extra-virgin olive oil

Place the chiles and onion in a jar that can hold them with a little extra headroom. Add the oregano, salt, lime juice, and oil. Shake to combine or use a spoon to push the slices down so that everything is submerged in the liquid. Cover with a lid. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for no less than 2 hours and preferably for 1 day before using.

This salsa can be stored in the sealed jar in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. I like it best after about 1 week, when the onions have fully soaked up the juices and the spice from the habaneros but still retain some crunch.

Quiet trip with Cancun airport transfers.