Peanut and Chile Salsa

 Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe picturesI am going to tell you a secret about myself. I think I may be the only person in the whole wide world that suffers from this ailment. At least I don’t know anyone else who does. I don’t like salsa. Mostly because I don’t like chunks of tomatoes, peppers, or onions, which are pretty essential to salsa. Up until maybe 10 years ago the thought of going to a Mexican restaurant gave me serious anxiety. Going to a new Mexican restaurant actually still does give me anxiety. You just never know what you are going to get. Even the simplest dishes like chicken tacos have surprised me. I can’t even count all the times I have ordered enchiladas and then refused to eat them. And why when I order something “plain, cheese only,” does it still come covered in lettuce? The only item I have had a 100% success rate with is the chips. I always like the chips. Of course, I eat them plain, without salsa though. I order things “plain” a lot. We had been to this local Mexican restaurant, Mago, a bunch of times but I had never tried the salsa. I don’t like salsa, remember? They bring a tray with 3 different salsas. One time we went I must have been feeling VERY adventurous because for whatever reason, I tried one of the salsas. And I liked it. But I had never seen salsa like this before. It wasn’t chunky. It wasn’t green. It wasn’t even tomato-y. It kind of looked like queso, which is probably why I decided to try it. It was creamy and orange and it was SPICY! And I loved it. But was it really salsa? I decided to do some research and I think that it was a peanut and chile salsa.Although this recipe from the New York Times is not exact, I think it is very similar. It turns out there is no cream or cheese in the salsa. Tricked me though. I made the recipe with 6 de arbol chiles and it wasn’t quite spicy enough so next time I will use 8. The salsa is very thick, but it is good on chips and I also made some tilapia and served it with this salsa. Make sure to really process the peanuts so that it is very smooth. This salsa is really nothing like the salsa you usually see in restaurants. Like I said, it is smooth, creamy, and spicy. So, if you are feeling really adventurous give it a try!

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

Here is what you’ll need

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

Brown the chiles

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

Place them in a covered bowl of water for 15 minutes

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

Char the tomatoes

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

Remove the stems from the chiles and brown the garlic

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

Place everything in the food processor

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

Sear the salsa and add the chicken broth

Peanut and Chile Salsa recipe pictures

No chunks of tomatoes, onions, or peppers! Perfection!

 

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