More a spicy chili oil than your typical tomato-based variety, this Mexican salsa goes well with fish, vegetables and essentially anything low in fat. I find it's a must on
fish tacos.
For a more mild version of this salsa, use
pasilla,
mulato or
guajillo chilies. For heat, try
arbol or to add a hint of smoke go with
chipotle chilies. Alternatively, you can just shake the seeds and tidbits from every jar of chilies in your kitchen and just go with that. That's what I do and it never fails.
There is in essence nothing particularly Mexican about this salsa. Many cuisines around the world have their own version. In China, for example,
tien-tsin chilies are heated in oil to create a spicy oil popular in Hunan and Szechwan cooking.
Makes 3/4 cup salsa
1/4
cup dried chili seeds and broken bits of dried chilies2
tbsp sesame seeds1/2
cup vegetable oil2
tsp salt
Lightly toast the chilies in a frying plan over medium heat. When fragrant, remove from heat. Once cool, separate the seeds from the broken bits of chili.
Finely chop the broken bits of chili into pieces about the size of the seeds. You can alternatively pulse them a few times in a blender, a technique that works just as well. Whichever way you choose, don't chop or blend the seeds.
The chilies are chopped and ready to be combined with the sesame seeds. What you see here is a good ratio of seeds to chili bits.
In a small bowl add all of the ingredients and stir to combine. Let them sit for about one hour to allow the oil to infuse with the chilies. Transfer to a jar for easy storage and
listo, you're done.
The salsa can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator indefinitely. If the salsa runs low on oil, simply add more to the jar as required.