Re: [CH] Showing My Ignorence?
David Wright (dtwright@texas.net)
Sat, 23 May 1998 08:40:01 -0500 (CDT)
At 08:23 PM 5/22/98 -0000, LaVerne R. Galbraith wrote:
>I hate to show my ignorance, but what are Chipotles and
>Tomatillos?(Spelling) I have looked in all my cook books and
>garden books with no success. I have also looked, and asked in
>the local markets. Thanks in advance for the information.
>
>LaVerne R. Galbraith
LaVerne, chipotles are jalapen~os that have been smoked -- originally over
a peat fire, I seem to remember reading -- until thoroughly dry. You can
buy them in this form, shriveled and dark reddish-brown, or canned in adobo
sauce. IMO, they are not very high on the heat scale but do add a
wonderfully smoky flavor when used in sauces, chili con carne, etc.
Tomatillos, as the name suggests, are golf-ball or smaller green fruits
that resemble tomatoes, except that they're covered with a brown husk. They
have a tart flavor that goes well with heat and Mexican cheese. One way to
use them is to remove the husks, boil them with some serranos and then
process the tomatillos and chiles along with some garlic and onion. Fry
this mix with a little oil and you have a simple salsa verde for
enchiladas, which is exactly what I'm going to do today with the tomatillos
I bought yesterday. I understand they're available canned some places.
HTH,
David
P.S. Don't worry about showing you ignorance. The rest of us will take our
turns when it's appropriate.