Roasted Habanero Salsa… omg fantastic.

[Mosca]

First: credit where credit is due. I followed Rick Bayless to the T.

Okay then!

12 orange or red habaneros, stems removed
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Juice of 1 lime
pinches of salt to taste
water to desired consistency


Roast the habaneros and garlic




Until they look like this. That was about 10 minutes at medium high, 375-400°.




Peel the garlic. Put the peppers and garlic in a food processor and buzz them up until it looks like this:




Juice that lime into the mash,




Add a couple-three tablespoons of water, and a generous pinch of salt, and buzz it up some more until it looks like this:




Pour it into a container and add water drip by drip, until it is at your desired consistency. This took a couple more tablespoons:




And that’s it!

This took 20 minutes from putting the pan on the burner to putting the salsa in the refrigerator. This salsa is freaking AMAZING. It has all the beauty of habaneros, with lime, garlic, and salt! It is also VERY VERY HOT. It is as hot as… well, eating an habanero pepper. If you’re a pepperhead, this is the max sane heat; I’ve eaten a Reaper, and I would not do that again, not for love nor money. If you’re not a pepperhead, mix it with mayo like Rick does in the video, or roast and buzz up some orange bell pepper into it. Or just appreciate that someone somewhere likes it!

[bmillin]

Looks and sounds amazing, but I can't take it anymore. May I suggest to the non-pepperheads that you roast some carrot, onion and may a roma tomato and throw that in. I love the floral flavor of the pepper but my throat is kinda raw.

[Johnny Booth]

Yikes. I love hot peppers, but this would be too hot. I agree with bmillin, and I would remove the seeds and pith from those peppers before roasting. Definitely gonna try. Thanks for the recipe and the idea Mosca.

[Mosca]

It’s really hot if you eat it with a spoon. But a teaspoon or two on some scrambled eggs is just about right.

[Andrrr]

I had the same initial thought of "way too hot" but used sparingly like you say, I can see how it would be great. I love the flavor of habaneros so in to paprika it goes. Thanks for sharing.

[klflowers]

Thanks for this. My heat tolerance is slowly starting to come down, but I am going to try this. Just early in the day

[RonB]

Ya might want to mix one part salsa to one part Pepto Bismol.

[Starsky]

I didn't realize that you could leave garlic in a pan that hot, for so long

[Mosca]

If you leave it in the husk it just softens.

[Michael_in_TX]

Love Rick Bayless' recipes. Always so flavorful. (Also often hot lol.)

[RichieB]

Going tomorrow to Market Basket about a 40 mile 1 way drive, worth it for their meat department. I'll be loading up on all ingredients for Troutman Texas Chili. Going to make this too. All being done this weekend. Thanks for the recipe Mosca.

[Troutman]

Good stuff but indeed a bit hotter than I prefer. Regardless Bayless is the guru of Mexican cuisine 👍👍

[Mosca]

What I like about Rick Bayless is that he moves at the same speed a regular home cook would. I take my time in the kitchen, and I actually tell myself to remember it isn’t a race. It’s very easy to see how to proceed. I did his recipe for Mexican red rice that I probably wouldn’t have bothered with by just reading it, but watching the video showed how simple it was as long as I had everything set.

[shify]

His recipe for habanero hot sauce is great too. Similar to the above but with onions, carrots added and only the garlic is charred.