I frequently have friends over to play games at my house, and it’s become a game night tradition that I put out heaping bowls of Pico de Gallo and guacamole along with a big basket of tortilla chips. Pico de Gallo improves with time and I serve it with chips, of course, but also spooned over any red meat, in tacos, or with scrambled eggs for huevos rancheros. For an extra chunky salsa, simply mix all the ingredients together without pureeing. Whatever texture you prefer, the burst of fresh flavor this salsa offers depends on using ripe, in-season tomatoes and lime—never lemon—juice. For a spicier salsa, leave some or all of the seeds in the serrano peppers.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 3 cups

　　2 medium tomatoes, chopped

　　1 white onion, chopped

　　1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves chopped

　　2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced

　　Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons) or to taste

　　Kosher salt to taste

　　Tortilla chips, for serving

　　

Step 1

In the work bowl of a food processor or blender, place the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, serrano, and lime juice. Pulse until you like the consistency of the salsa. Taste and add additional lime juice, if desired, and salt.

　　

Step 2

Transfer to a small serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips. Pico de Gallo can be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

　　

FRESH PEPPERS

Step 3

There are countless varieties of peppers (also called chiles) available, and afcionados can identify the distinctions of each and every one. For the purpose of this book, I’ll highlight just a few that are readily available and always delicious. Bell, serrano, and jalapeño are the three fresh peppers I use most often. (For information on dried chiles, see page 96).

　　

Step 4

Bell peppers come in a rainbow of colors, from green to red, yellow, orange, and purple. They are crunchy and sweet, with no spicy bite whatsoever. They are welcome additions to dishes like Hungarian Paprika Chicken (page 84) and they are large enough to hold generous amounts of flavorful stuffing, as in Stuffed Green Peppers (page 116).

　　

Step 5

Serrano peppers have straightforward chile flavor and good heat that is not at all overpowering. About 2 inches long, they are most often green, although you can sometimes find red ones. Serranos are enormously popular in Mexican cooking and absolutely critical in my Chunky Guacamole with Serrano Peppers (page 19) and Pico de Gallo (above).

　　

Step 6

Finally, green jalapeños are widely available. They can be very hot and have a distinct flavor with grassy, green bell pepper qualities. They zip up VeraCruz Corn (page 151) and Corn Bread (page 181) with bright color, flavor, and heat.

　　Eva's Kitchen