Author Notes
My garden yielded abundant amounts of tomatillos this past year which in turn led to a new found appreciation of this vegetable. Tart and bright, it can go far beyond salsa verde. The initial inspiration for this preparation comes from the owners of a local restaurant, Patrona. Savor these flavors with a sipping type artisan tequila if your budget permits! —Amber Olson
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Ingredients
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8
large tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
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2
ripe Roma tomatoes, cored
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3
Anaheim chiles, stemmed, halved and seeded
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5-8
Serrano chiles (depends on how hot they taste and your tolerance for heat), stemmed and halved
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2
whole cloves garlic, not too large
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1/2
white onion, about 4 ounces
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1/4 cup
good quality tequila, (plus more for garnish, optional)
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2 tablespoons
fresh squeezed lime juice
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Kosher salt to taste
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1/4 cup
fresh cilantro leaves
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2-3
Meyer lemons (if in season), or regular lemons
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1
ripe but firm avocado
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2
dozen shucked oysters, with juices, or jarred fresh oysters, chilled well (Note: If oysters are large, cut in half before chilling.)
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Speciality sea salt of your choice
Directions
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Put first six ingredients into a 2-quart saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chiles are soft. Drain the chile mixture, reserving water. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.Transfer chile mixture to a food processor and puree. Add tequila and lime juice. Process to blend. Add enough reserved water and blend to make a nice pourable "cocktail" mixture. Taste for salt, heat and lime. Adjust to your liking. Chill until very cold.
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With a sharp knife, peel the outer rind from the lemons (avoiding the white pith), and then cut the rind into thin strips. Cut avocado into medium dice right before assembling.
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When ready to eat, spoon 4-6 oysters with some of the juices into clear over-size martini glasses or compote cups. Stir salsa cocktail mixture, then gently pour over the oysters. Add some diced avocado. Drizzle in a little tequila (optional). Top with some cilantro leaves and a lemon rind slice that you twist to release some citrus oil. Grind or sprinkle a touch of speciality sea salt on top.
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