I brought killer salsa to work today. The basics: go to your local international market and get a few of everything. My salsa varies a lot from batch to batch based on which peppers are in season, but the common ones are jalapenos, poblanos, serranos, thai bonnets (in several colors, if you can get 'em), long sweets, and habanjeros. Chop them in a food processor a few at a time to get the right texture and consistency.
Once you're done with peppers:
- Add a little salt -- it brings out the flavor. A dash is good for a small bowl, but you'll need a tablespoon or so for the gallon-sized batches that I do.
- Garlic, 2-4 cloves per gallon.
- Cilantro is hit-or-miss. Some people love it (me), some people hate it. For a batch I plan on sharing, I'll add just enough that I can taste it, but not so much that you really notice it without looking.
- Tomatoes, of course. I get best flavor out of cherry tomatoes, but they're expensive if you're doing a big batch, so add some roma or whatever to fill it out.
- Tomato paste, if you like it thick.
- I never use onions in salsa. Ever. But I have been known to add super-finely chopped celery. Oddly, people like the flavor, but not the texture. Weird.
- Lime, but be careful -- it'll take the edge off the heat.
- If you made it too hot: add more tomatoes, or sugar, or more lime, or a mango or two. The sweet citrus of a mango can really take the edge off an otherwise painful salsa, while retaining most of the pepper flavor that people enjoy.
Enjoy!
Dan