Chiltomate, Yucatecan Roasted Tomato Salsa
Chiltomate is the everyday tomato sauce of the Yucatan, its name a straight compound of chile and tomate. Everything is roasted dry on a comal first, the tomatoes until their skins char, the garlic in its jacket, and a single habanero, which is the region's chile of choice. The trick that makes chiltomate mild enough to eat by the spoonful is leaving that habanero whole: it lends its unmistakable fruity aroma and a gentle warmth to the pot without the searing heat it would bring if chopped in, and it sits in the finished bowl for anyone who wants more. Naranja agria, the sour orange of the peninsula, brightens it; a mix of orange and lime juice stands in when you cannot find it. Epazote gives the herbal note that runs through so much Yucatecan cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Fresh tomatoes, ripe
- 1 whole Habanero
- 3 cloves Garlic, unpeeled
- 1/2 whole Yellow onions, finely diced
- 1 sprig Epazote
- 2 tbsp Oranges, juice
- 1 tbsp Limes, juice
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Method
- Char the whole tomatoes, the unpeeled garlic, and the whole habanero on a dry comal or under a hot broiler, turning, until the tomato skins blister black and split and the chile blackens in spots, about 10 minutes. This dry-roasting on the comal is the Yucatecan way and builds the smoky sweetness that carries the salsa without salt or oil.
- Peel the garlic and slip the loose skins off the tomatoes. Set the roasted habanero aside whole and uncut.
- Chop the tomatoes and garlic together on a board, or pulse them briefly, into a rough sauce. Chiltomate is rustic, not a smooth blend, so keep some texture.
- Warm the tomato in a pan with the diced raw onion and the epazote sprig, and lay the whole roasted habanero on top. Simmer gently 8 minutes. Left whole, the habanero perfumes the salsa with its apricot fragrance and a slow, mild heat rather than the full assault it would give if chopped in. Leave it in for a milder salsa, or mash it into the pot for real fire.
- Take out the epazote. Stir in the orange and lime juice off the heat; together they stand in for naranja agria, the sour orange of the Yucatan that is hard to find fresh. Fold in the cilantro.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, with the whole habanero left sitting in the bowl for anyone who wants to break it open. It keeps several days and makes a sauce for beans, grains, or roasted vegetables.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 35 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber, 15 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
