Chile Rojo Salsa
Roasted guajillo peppers make this Chile Rojo Salsa deep, dark and smoky and raisins and tomatoes add sweetness for complexity.
Ingredients
- 4 dried pasilla chiles 1½ ounces; stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried guajillo chiles ½ ounce; stemmed and seeded
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 3 cups boiling water
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 large tomato; coarsely chopped I use high quality glass-jar tomatoes in the winter
- 1 medium onion; quartered
- 1 garlic clove; smashed
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Salt
Instructions
- In a large heatproof bowl, cover the dried chiles and raisins with the boiling water; set a plate on top to submerge the chiles. Let stand until softened, about 15 minutes.
- Drain the chiles and raisins and transfer to a blender; reserve ¼ cup of the soaking liquid.
- In a small skillet, toast the sesame seeds and cumin over moderately high heat until fragrant and golden, shaking the pan (2 minutes).
- Transfer the seeds to the blender. Add the tomato, onion, garlic, lime juice, ¼ cup of reserved soaking liquid and ½ cup of water and puree until smooth.
- Season the salsa with salt, if desired.
Notes
Adapted from Anna Zepaltas for Food and Wine