Tomatillos are versatile vegetables found in many Mexican dishes.
Tomatillos are a common ingredient in Mexican cooking. Thin, papery husks cover small, round, shiny green vegetables that are often mistaken for green tomatoes in supermarkets and produce stands. The vegetables are not related to tomatoes but are members of the nightshade vegetable family that also includes eggplant and potatoes. Use tomatillos fresh or cooked in a variety of dishes.
Eat Raw
After removing the husks and washing, cube or slice fresh tomatillos and add them to green or fruit salads. Their tart, citrus taste mingles well with other savory raw vegetables and accentuates the natural sweetness of salad fruits. Chopped tomatillos are good ingredients for fresh salsas made with tomatoes, cilantro, hot peppers, garlic, scallions and onions. Minced tomatillos add texture and flavor to homemade guacamole.
Blanch
If you find the tartness of raw tomatillos too strong, you can easily mellow the flavor by blanching the vegetable. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add peeled and washed tomatillos. Cook for five minutes and plunge into ice water to quickly cool them and keep them from overcooking or collapsing. Mix blanched tomatillos with onions, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro for salsas and sauces. They do not hold up in fresh salads.
Roast
Fire roasting tomatillos gives them a rich, smoky flavor. Use a gas or charcoal grill, a propane torch or place them under an oven broiler and quickly char the skins with very high heat. If you roast them too slowly, the flesh of the vegetable starts to disintegrate before the smoky taste emerges. Dry roasting tomatillos on a stovetop in a cast iron skillet reduces their citrus flavors and makes them taste nutty and earthy. Heat the skillet over low heat and slowly roast the vegetables for 20 to 30 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure even cooking. Fire-roasted tomatillos add depth to fresh and cooked sauces, and dry roasted ones add taste to soups and stews.
Popular Recipes
Chile verde is a well-liked Mexican stew made with cubed pork, tomatillos, roasted green chiles, onions and garlic. Tomatillo salsa verde includes tomatillos, garlic and onions and tops Mexican dishes such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas and huevos rancheros. Dress up grilled steak, chicken or fish with warmed salsa verde, a spoonful of sour cream or Mexican crema and a sprinkling of finely shredded cheese.
Tags: fresh cooked, made with, Mexican dishes, roasting tomatillos, salsa verde