Salsa is not a dip. Let's say you have some tortilla chips, you take one and then dunk it in the salsa. I would say that's dip, hence the act of "dipping" the chip in the salsa. They are more than just your ordinary dip. It is tangy, some spicy and creamy. Sometimes the combination of the three, or a couple: spicy and tangy, tangy and creamy. In Mexican cuisine, they have an array of salsas to go with their favorite tacos or whatever dish that it may go well with. The most basic and probably well known Mexican salsa is the "pico de gallo." I have no clue why they call it like that because the literal meaning of it is "rooster's beak." Even some Mexican cooks I have met calls it that. Maybe they got used to calling it that name. Others call it salsa Mexicana which in my opinion is the appropriate name. Let's leave that for my next project. For the mean time, I want to spice my dish with these two different kinds of salsas. One is the Citrus-Habanero Salsa and the other is Smoked Cashew Salsa. I say they are fusion of Mexican flavors to suit non-Mexican palate. These salsas are reminiscent of working at respected chef Alek Stupak's Taqueria saboroso.
Citrus-Habanero Salsa
(makes about 2 qts.)
1 cup orange juice + zest
1 cup lime juice + zest
2 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup red wine vinegar (or any good quality vinegar)
15-20 pcs. habanero (I used yellow-orange)
4 large onions
*plus small amount of oil(about 2 tblsp.) and salt (about 2 tsp.) for roasting
*I suggest you use gloves in handling the peppers just in case
*when cleaning utensils that came in contact w/ hot peppers, always use cold water. Otherwise, there will be a spicy fume all over the room
1. Clean and roast peppers and onions. Drizzle oil and salt and roast at 400*F (205*C) for about 10-15mins or until they are blistered. Onions will take longer.
2. Juice and zest the oranges and limes. Make sure you take very little of the white cavity of the citrus as they can add bitterness to your sauce.
3. Puree, adjust to taste and cook the salsa. Puree everything in the blender until desired consistency. If everything doesn't fit then just do them in batches. Make sure that you cover the blender tight so that it won't splatter especially to your eyes. Also, open the lid slowly and close your eyes just to be sure. I do this and it's not funny if the hot peppers get into your eyes. If it's too spicy, add more water and sugar. But this is really spicy and I guess it's only for spicy lovers. Simmer for 10 mins or so until the color intensifies to a bright orange hue.
4. Cool and serve. Instantly cool in an ice bath and serve. You can freeze some if you'd like. Disfrutar!
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