Salsa verde — tomatillo-based green sauce — exists across a spectrum from raw (cruda) to cooked (asada, hervida, or frita) with each method producing a different flavour character from the same base ingredients. The tomatillo's husk (papery husks from the plant of the same name) contains withanolides — compounds that produce a sticky, slightly bitter note on the fruit's exterior. The husks must be removed and the tomatillos rinsed before use.
- **Hervida (boiled) salsa verde:** Tomatillos boiled briefly (5 minutes), blended with serrano, garlic, cilantro, onion. The boiling removes some of the tomatillo's sharp tartness, producing a slightly sweeter, more mellow sauce. - **Asada (roasted) salsa verde:** Tomatillos under the broiler until charred — the char produces a complex, smoky dimension. - **The fried salsa (for enchiladas):** The blended raw salsa is poured into hot oil in the pan — it fries briefly, producing a sauce with a slightly cooked, more rounded character. - **Cilantro:** In large quantities — the cilantro's linalool and other terpene compounds are one of the primary flavour elements of salsa verde. - **Consistency:** Salsa verde is served as a liquid (for enchiladas, huevos rancheros) or as a thicker dip — the consistency is controlled by the amount of liquid added during blending.
Mexico: The Cookbook