There’s something about the floral, fruity heat of the habanero pepper that’s damned near irresistible.
We’ve long been fans of the fruit-based, fiery hot sauces from Central America, Belize in particular, based in large part on well-guarded recipes highlighting habaneros, carrots and onions, with a host of other components added to tweak flavors in one direction or another. Marie Sharp’s and Hot Mama’s Belizian sauce brands have become (to pepperheads at least) household names.
Always on the lookout for a nifty salsa recipe to incorporate habaneros at home, I ran across this one a few weeks ago just about the time I was gifted several pounds of perfectly ripe tomatillos.
This Tomatillo, Habanero and Orange Salsa hits the right notes with the tart tomatillos, half of which are roasted, and the punch of citrus from both oranges and limes. Salt to taste and remember it will take more than you might think to dial it in.
And check those habaneros, many that make it the grocery shelf here in the States don’t have the blast of heat you might fear/expect and you may even want more than called for here.
This was perfect on grilled fish tacos a couple of days ago and can elevate a good chip to the amazing chip level with just one scoop. Have a cold beer handy…
1 pound fresh tomatillos, divided
4 habanero peppers
2 oranges
1 bunch green onions, trimmed (use white and 3” green), sliced fine
Juice of 1-2 limes
Good salt to taste
Roast half the tomatillos, in their husks, over a hardwood charcoal fire (best) or in an ungreased cast iron skillet on the stove (damned closed) for about 10 minutes or so; the husks will char a bit. Set aside to cool.
Roast the rinsed habaneros for 5 minutes or so, until just beginning to blister, then set aside to cool.
Husk the roasted tomatillos, chop, and place in your trusty blender.
Stem and seed the roasted and cooled habaneros and add to the blender, then puree until smooth with some texture still there.
Meanwhile, husk and rinse the remaining tomatillos, dice small and throw into a small bowl. Now add the juice of one orange (squeeeeeeze it) and the pureed mixture.
Now, peel the second orange, seed if needed, and chop fairly small; add the orange, any juice from the cutting board and the sliced green onions to the bowl. Stir to mix well.
Finally, add the juice of one lime and good salt to taste; we almost always add a bit more lime juice…
Enjoy.
