I’m reluctant to call this a recipe—it’s just too easy. But having made this gloriously simple “recipe” twice now and wowing guests both times, I’ve decided it is Jersey Bites worthy. If you’ve never cooked with tomatillos, there’s no need to be afraid. They may look strange in their paper husks, but they are easy as pie to peel. All they need is a rinse in some warm water to remove the sticky residue and you’re ready to roll.
You’ve probably had tomatillo salsa before (here’s our recipe) but rarely do you find people serving them in their un-emulsified state. I decided I was going to give it a try a few weeks ago. I purchased five or six ears of corn and the same number of tomatillos. I like to try to find medium to large ones, about the size of a small peach. It just means less peeling.
After cleaning the tomatillos, cut them in half and brush with olive oil then salt and pepper them. I use no measurements and you won’t have to either. Shuck and clean the corn of all silk. Grill corn until charred and tomatillos until the skins begin to wrinkle. Remove from grill and allow to cool until they can be handled. Cut corn off of cob and dice each tomatillo half into quarters. Toss in a large bowl with the juice of one lime and a handful of chopped cilantro. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. You could add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, but quite frankly it doesn’t need it. We are lovers of hardwood charcoal, and we grill the corn and tomatillos over the coals for that added smoky flavor, which I highly recommend.
Ingredients
5 or 6 med/large tomatillos
5 or 6 ears of fresh corn
1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. Think about the variations you could come up with, like adding red tomatoes, olives or basil instead of cilantro.
Deborah Smith , Founder and Executive Editor of JerseyBites.com. Launched in 2007 as a home for her growing collection of recipes, Jersey Bites soon grew into a hub for all things edible in the Garden State. Deborah is also the owner of 3SquareDeals.com a Deals program that benefits Hunger Relief organizations in New Jersey. In her spare time, (Ha) she works as a Social Media consultant and speaker. You can learn more about her services and marketing through social media on her blog www.DeborahLSmith.com
