What happens when you put 7 little ingredients in the hands of my dear friend Jim? Well, if they happen to be this combination of ingredients, you get the best darn tomatillo salsa you ever tasted.

For my birthday this year Jim made this salsa to go with the taco/burritos we were serving. And I am here to tell you, the salsa was an unqualified hit. And then the best part, he left the leftover salsa with us!  “Greater love hath no friend than to leave homemade salsa in your refrigerator!” (I know I am quoting some sage historian, but I can’t remember for the life of me who it was!)

Now, although Jim and I have been cooking together for decades, we still think differently when we prepare food. Jim is more analytical in his approach to food preparation. He considers things like the fact that adding an avocado to the salsa would not only add flavor but cause the mixture to emulsify. (In culinary terms, an emulsion happens when two liquids that wouldn’t ordinarily mix (like oil and vinegar) are whisked or blended into a mixture in which one of the ingredients is evenly distributed throughout the other substance. This is part one of the emulsion process. Step two involves keeping the mixture in an emulsified state. That requires an emulsifier. The most common emulsifiers are natural and modified starches such as cornstarch, mustard, egg yolks, garlic, and you guessed it – avocado.)

So Professor Jim, in using an avocado in the salsa, created a perfect blend of not only flavor but consistency. (And no, I would never have thought about adding the avocado because of the emulsion factor. If I had considered an avocado at all, it would have been merely a chance flash of brilliance. And flashes of brilliance just ain’t happening as often as they used to!)

The other difference in our cooking styles; Jim usually prefers bolder flavors. (Now you do realize there is no wrong or right here; just personal preference.)

So, in reading the ingredients list below, I presented the amounts that best worked for me first, with Jim’s amounts listed second. (My blog!) But I’m sure Jim will forgive me. Although we each have our own style, the ultimate outcome of our adventures in the kitchen is always the same – we aim to prepare darned tasty food.

Thank you my dear friend for sharing your recipe and educated culinary perspective with me and my readers.

• 5-6 tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper
• 3 T. olive oil (Jim uses about twice as much)
• 2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, peeled (again, Jim uses about twice as much)
• 1 c. rough chopped cilantro (partial bunch)
• 1 small, ripe avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
• kosher salt – start with about ¾ tsp.

Jim’s method of roasting tomatillos over an open flame: Sacrifice one small square cooling rack and place it over a gas burner. Lay the tomatillos and peppers on the cooling rack, turn the heat on as hot as you can stand, and char the veggies until they are good and black or start to get oozy, whichever comes first. Remove to a bowl or plate to cool.

(If you do not have a gas stove top, use the alternate charring methods provided below.)

Meanwhile, pour olive oil into a small pan. Turn heat to very low and add the garlic cloves. Gently heat the oil until you see bubbles start to form around the pan. (Jim cooks his garlic longer for a more mature roasted garlic flavor.)

Remove from heat and allow to cool. (You are basically creating garlic infused oil.) When the tomatillos are cool, place them in the bowl of a food processor, along with the cooled oil, garlic, cilantro, avocado, and salt. (And no, do not carefully remove all the charred skin on the tomatillos. That charred skin is part of the flavor in the final product. Now doesn’t that make life easier for everyone?) Whirl to blend. Carefully remove the seeds and stems from the jalapeno pepper. Add the pepper to the salsa mixture and whirl just until finally chopped. Adjust seasoning. (This recipe actually takes more salt than you would expect.) Store salsa covered in your refrigerator. Best if made at least a day ahead. Serve with tortilla chips or as a condiment to any of your favorite Mexican dishes.

Alternate directions for charring tomatillos and pepper in the oven:

1)      Hold a tomatillo with a pair of long handled tongs over gas burner until well charred. (If the tomatillo starts to get oozy, call it good!) Place the charred tomatillos in a bowl or on a plate to cool while you char the rest of the veggies.

2)      Move an oven rack to the top position in your oven. Preheat broiler to high. Place tomatillos and pepper in an oven-safe baking dish. Place in oven, 4 inches from the preheated broiler, until the tomatillos are roasted and the peppers are charred, about 10-15 minutes. Turn veggies as necessary to char on all sides. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Proceed with recipe as described above.

3)      Place tomatillos and pepper on outdoor grill over high heat. Turn as needed to char the skins. Will take upwards of 30 minutes. Allow to cool and proceed with recipe as described above.