Recipe Reduction 78-77

Homemade Salsa Verde
by Cookie and Kate

I confess I only made this recipe because I'd saved a different one from Roy Choi's cookbook and I just couldn't face it. His version was half oil, one-third vinegar and wine, a little dab (2) of tomatillos, and a lot of leaves--mint, cilantro, and basil. I'd like to taste it but I didn't want to make it. Salsa, IMHO, is a fat-free food. One of life's pure joys.

Note to self: remember, next time you get ready to save a recipe, if it looks too weird to believe, it probably is.

The recipe I chose said to char the tomatillos and peppers in the broiler--it was supposed to intensify the flavors, but didn't. I don't know why, but the end result was no better or worse than the recipe in my Southwestern Cookbook that has you simmer the tomatillos in a little water (poach them) and use the peppers raw.

Apparently there's a big debate on Chowhound regarding tomatillos: roast or poach? One guy said roasting made a sweeter salsa but simmering a more traditional, sharper-flavored one. So I might try roasting someday, but in the oven, not the broiler.


Skillet Shrimp Chilaques

We all know why people make chilaques, right?  I'll give you a hint: "stuffing" is a way of using up stale bread; potato pancakes are a way of using up leftover mashed potatoes; so...what do you do with leftover corn tortillas?

Tear them in strips, drench them in salsa, bake until mushy; give them a fancy name and sell them for $16 a plate to gringos.

These were delicious, although I didn't have enough salsa verde and had to supplement with a can of enchilada sauce from the pantry. It called for putting the shrimp on top and broiling five minutes, but my shrimp were too large and I had to turn them over halfway through.

It should have been an easy, hassle-free recipe, but wasn't. Here's what I'll do next time:

1. Brush oil on 12 tortillas; stack them and cut into strips. Spread on a baking sheet(s), making sure they're in a single layer. (no turning needed!) Bake them until crispy.

2. Dump them in a casserole dish and pour two 10-oz cans of green enchilada sauce on top. Alternately, make your own sauce in huge batches and freeze in 2-1/2 cup containers.

3. Put the lid on the dish. (No wasteful aluminum foil!) Bake 15 minutes at 350.

4. Uncover, put desired topping on--but not shrimp (they're too expensive, too hard to find sustainably sourced varieties, and too much trouble to peel.) I'm thinking eggs or chunks of farmed American catfish next time. If using catfish, sprinkle some ancho chile powder and salt on top.

5. Put the lid back on and bake until almost set (eggs) or starting to flake (fish).

6. Serve!

With my adjusted instructions I could have this dish on the table in 30 minutes and only have to wash two dishes.