Charred Red Chile and Scallion Salsa
I love making salsas. It’s a great opportunity to use your palate, add more heat, salt, acid (lime), or sweetness to it, and really makes it your own. I challenge and invite you to follow the recipe, and then taste and see what it needs.
Servings: Makes about 1 cup of salsa, enough to top a large steak or serve along side for 4 people to use on individual steaks or whatever you want!
Recipe by Tierney Larson
Canola oil, enough to coat the scallions, lime and chiles
1 shallot, halved
1 bunch of scallions, rinsed and patted dry
1 lime, halved
2 small red chiles
1 garlic clove, peeled
a handful of cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt
2 tsp agave
*If you’re not planning on grilling-see below.
Preheat your grill for a half an hour. Toss the scallions, red chiles, and lime halves in some canola oil. (Don’t drench them as they will set a flame on your grill!). You just want enough oil to thinly coat them.
Place the chiles, scallions and lime halves (pulp side down) on the grill and let them get a nice char by leaving them alone for about 3-4 minutes per side, until a nice black charring forms. Take everything off the grill and let cool slightly. Cut the ends off of the scallions, and slice the chiles in half, trim off the top and scrape out the seeds. Trim and peel the shallots. Places the scallions, shallot and chiles in a blender and squeeze the lime juice from your charred lime in as well. Add the garlic clove, agave and the cilantro and a good pinch of kosher salt. Start the blender and when everything is combined start streaming in the olive oil until you have a nice smooth consistency. Take a taste and if it tastes a little bland add more salt, if it tastes a little flat add more lime juice. You can also add more agave to tame the heat.
Pour into a small bowl and serve along side grilled steak or veggies.
*You can char your veggies on a cast iron skillet by preheating it over high for 3 minutes. Then follow the directions above, making sure not to overcrowd your skillet or they won’t get charred they’ll steam.
