Thai Salsa

So, you might be thinking to yourself, ‘where the heck do I get lemongrass and what the heck are kaffir lime leaves?’. Don’t worry. Find your local Asian store. See the related blog link for pictures of what each looks like. Both of these ingredients, along with the Thai chili peppers will infuse the salsa and make it something special.

Start by putting your tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic and chili peppers on a roasting sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 475 F. Once oven is heated, place your pan in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until all of the veggies look nice and roasted.

During this time, if you have a mortar and pestle, use it. Add the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, and begin working it into a paste. This will take a bit of muscle. Once you have it worked into a paste, or at least broken down the best you can, set it aside.

When the vegetables are done roasting, remove them from the oven, and let them cool for about 15 minutes or so.

Get out your food processor or blender. Squeeze the garlic out of the skin and into the food processor and discard the skins. Add in the tomatoes, tomatillos, onions and chilis. Toss in the lemongrass and kaffir leave mixture, along with the cilantro. Give a nice pinch of salt and pepper to the mix, and add in the water.

Turn that processor on and buzz it into a nice salsa consistency.

Give it a taste. Bang! Right away you are hit with these wonderful Thai flavors (and the heat from the chili). Taste for salt, and adjust if necessary.

The end result is nothing but amazing. It’s everything you would expect in a salsa, but then these possibly unknown flavors creep in there. The citrusy heat from the Thai chili, and those kaffir lime leaves … Well, this one will have you thinking about salsa in a whole new way. Hope you enjoy.