Cascabel Chile-Blackened Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium onion
• cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 12 ounces tomatoes
• blackened (page 164)
• 12 dried cascabel chiles
• dry-roasted (page 152)
• stemmed
• seeded
• and rehydrated
• 2 cloves garlic
• dry-roasted (page 158)
• 5 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• toasted (page 162)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat and saute the diced onion until it begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
2. In the jar of a blender, add the onion, tomatoes, cascabel chiles with their soaking water, garlic, pumpkin seeds, and salt and puree until smooth.
3. Strain through a medium-mesh strainer.
4. To refry, in a large, heavy nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat until almost smoking.
5. Pour in the puree at once, tilting the pan away from you as the puree will spatter; remove from the heat, stirring to blend.
6. If necessary, refry the puree in batches; you want to refry no more than 1/2 inch of puree in the pan at one time.