Papalote (Roasted Salsa and Totopos)

A creamy salsa made from charred vegetables, releasing an intense smoky aroma. Fried tortillas provide a sharp crunch that contrasts with the sauce that perfectly coats the chip.

• Prep: 15 min
• Cook: 15 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 288
• Protein: 5 g
• Carbs: 43 g
• Fat: 9 g

Ingredients

• 4 pc Round tomato ( whole )
• 1 pc Yellow onion ( halved )
• 3 pc Garlic ( cloves )
• 1 pc Hot chili pepper ( seeded )
• 1 pc Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle. ( juiced )
• 20 g Fresh cilantro ( chopped )
• 4 pc Soft tortilla (for filling), made from corn ( cut into triangles )
• 500 ml Sunflower oil ( for frying )
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt ( to season )
• 4 pc Dried Arbol Chili ( stemmed )

Instructions

1. Char the vegetables and chilies

   On a very hot griddle or under the grill, place the whole tomatoes, halved onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, and dried Arbol chilies. Remove the chilies after 1 minute once fragrant. Let the skin of the other vegetables blacken and blister until the flesh is tender.

2. Fry the totopos

   Cut the tortillas into triangles. Deep fry them in sunflower oil at 180°C. They should brown quickly and become rigid. Drain on paper and salt immediately with grey sea salt.

3. Blend the salsa

   Remove the burnt skin from the garlic. Blend the tomatoes, onion, garlic, fresh chili, and toasted Arbol chilies with the lime juice. Stir in the cilantro at the end to keep its freshness. The sauce should be smooth and thick.

Chef's tips

• Do not peel the tomatoes before grilling; the burnt skin provides the wood-fire aroma.
• If the salsa is too thick, thin it out with a splash of water or tomato juice.

Storage

The salsa keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Totopos should be eaten immediately to maintain their crunch.