Karla's four-ingredient salsa, three ways

About a month ago I spent a splendid afternoon learning to cook mole with with Karla at Mexican Food Memories.

The class made mole chicken, fresh corn tortillas, fried beans, tomato rice, and almost as an aside these three glorious simple salsas that all shared the same four ingredients. The course was great fun - Karla is a warm, engaging teacher and it's upped my mole game something fierce. I'd recommend booking one. But for some reason it’s the salsa not the mole I’ve been obsessed with ever since.

The impact for effort ratio is off the ‘effing charts. Onions, garlic, tomatoes, dried chillis. Seared, simmered, or fried. That's virtually the recipe.

It's such a showcase for how different flavours open up from just changing the technique.

Now, of course simmering, searing and sautéing will give different outcomes - darker or lighter colours, a softer or smokier edge. But the scale of the difference in taste and texture between the variations was still a surprise. The emulsified oil changes the mouthfeel of the fried sauce, for example, and pulls the colour down toward a rich orange, while the frying exposes a bit more of the onion sweetness than the simmer does.

The fried version won my heart and I'm putting it on everything right now, but I'll give you the notes for all three.

The fried sauce, but darker from arbol chillis and deglazing the sticky chicken goo from the pan.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, 1 medium (about 100g)
Onions, 1 small one (about 100g)
Garlic, 2 cloves (or to taste)
Guajillo chillis, 1 decent sized one (see notes)
Water or stock, about 300ml (see notes)

Notes:

Chilis - I use guajillos because I like the blend of heat and fruit. It was arbols on the course, for the colour and punch. Anchos would be milder and fruitier, cascabels would be similar to the guajillos, with less extra fruit than and ancho, and brighter in colour. Use more or a mix to taste.
Stock - does water count as a fifth ingredient? Does stock? Meh. I use a pinch of veg stock powder to add a little backbone, but it doesn't really need it. Simmering liquor from chicken or pork may well be to hand if you’re doing something Mexican, in which case use that.
Gear - You’ll want a liquidizer or good blender. I use a stick blender in a tall jar so you get that vortex effect that lets you make hollandaise more easily than public health professionals ought to be comfortable with.

Instructions

For all three techniques, peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic. Tear the chillis into big flakes, shaking out the seeds, and cut the tomato into chunks.

Then decide, will it be…

Seared

Fried salsa (in a little bowl beautifully made by my friend Chris)

Get a sturdy pan or skillet (or basically anything that isn't nonstick and will take dry heating) to a fairly high heat, and add the onions. Let them toast for a minute or two, turning now and then but allowing to sear. Add the other ingredients and do the same - give it 3-5 mins on a decent heat, stirring periodically to soften a little and get some toasty char on everything.

Do this in a well ventilated space - the chilli fumes can be feisty.

Remove from the heat and blend with the liquid to a fairly smooth sauce. Adjust the consistency to taste - this one works well a bit runnier, and a squeeze of lime brightens it nicely if you don’t mind cheating on the ingredient count.

Simmered

Put everything in a pan covered with water, and boil it for 3-5 mins. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for a few minutes to let the chillis infuse and rehydrate a bit.

Strain. Blend with some of the simmering liquid, starting with about 200ml or so, and adjusting to a consistency you like the look of.

Sautéed

With a big slug of non-olive oil (or butter, or ghee, or animal fat) fry the onions at a medium heat for about 2 mins, stirring periodically. Try not to let them colour much. Add everything else, and do the same. Fry for another 3-5 mins until softened a bit and the tomatoes have cooked down slightly.

Blend with the liquid. This one will thicken slightly more.

Serving, using, variations

These all work well as a taco drizzle or a dipping sauce. The seared is the punchiest and would go well with pork or darker meats. I've done it as a side sauce to grilled lamb chops and I bet it would be good with tuna.

For the fried version I’ve fallen for hard, I love it especially with crispy skin-on chicken thighs, or criss-cross-scored seared courgettes. Or both. It's also good over fried potatoes or eggs. If you're doing it with chicken or pork, fry the ingredients in the fat. Trust me.

Karla suggested using the simmered version and baking eggs in it like a shakshuka, which I'm yet to try but sounds amazing.

All three prepare in the time meat takes to rest, but I'd make it first if I was cooking fish, or in parallel with just vegetables. They all keep in the fridge for a few days.

I've mucked around with these a bit - pinch of cumin, some thyme, different chillis, and they're super flexible. I just bloody love it as a technique showcase. You can mix and match the techniques too - sear and rehydrate the chillis and use those with the fried version, for instance. That's a good time.