Salsa Xnipec Recipe

Salsas aren’t just the tomato based dips we typically find in Europe. In Mexico, you’ll find them served on the table, instead of salt and pepper to season your food. This salsa is perhaps the most common salsa to find on tables all over Yucatan (where we also happen to source our salt for our Lightly Salted chips).

There are many versions of it, some of them are made with white onion instead of red, some are not even hot. This particular version has the perfect mix between acidity and fruitiness from the citrus, the rawness from the onion, the roasted notes and heat from chillies, and the aroma from the oregano making it the perfect accomplishment to season any Mexican dish. 

The habanero chilli is the hottest chilli in Mexico. It gets a bad rep at times because it makes everything hot…. but… used in the right way, it can unleash a fruitiness and sweetness that no other chilli has. In the Yucatan it’s a very appreciated ingredient, and it’s used in different stages of growth. From green, all the way to red. Each stage gives the chilli a different colour, but also a different heat level and variations in taste.

Ingredients

To make about 550g salsa

– 2 to 3 Habanero or Scotch bonnet chillis (or mild chillis depending on how hot you want it)

– 2 medium red onions

– Juice of 6 limes

– Juice of 1 orange 

– A pinch Mexican (or normal) oregano

– 2 tsp salt (or test to taste)

Method

1. Char the chillies over direct fire or on a pan to turn them dark, but do not burn them

2. Boil 500ml of water in a pan

3. Slice the onion thinly and place in a bowl

4. Pour the boiling water over the onion and let it soak for one minute. This helps the onions soften.

5. Strain the onion and pop back in the bowl.

6. Remove the stems of chillies and slice them, keeping the seeds

7. Add the chillies, orange and lime juice, as well as the oregano and salt. Mix well

8. Let it rest for a at least an hour for the colouration to change and the bright pink colour to pop up

Time to enjoy on the side of any dish for a touch of sour and spice!