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Salsa -
Flavor-Charged, Adaptable And Increasingly Chic
By Carole Kotkin
Salsa, Mexico's humble "sauce," crossed the border decades ago, and
has since inspired countless permutations. Besides its
savory-to-sweet versatility, accenting a dish with a companionable
melange of diced fruits and vegetables is a healthful way to capture
the bounty of summer gardens. Wide exposure, easy access and
creative, vibrant variations have all conspired to weave this
malleable condiment seamlessly into the fabric of our culinary
culture.
Specialty bottled versions concocted by celebrity chefs have further
powered its popularity. Indeed, Americans now spend more money on
the zesty sauce than any other dip, spread or topping. In fact,
salsa outsells ketchup in terms of consumer dollars spent.
"Certainly salsas offer much more excitement than old reliable
ketchup," says John Roberts, president of the National Association
for the Specialty Food Trade. "There are now more than 380 upscale
salsa brands on the market," he notes, "and at the Fancy Food Show
in July, more than 2,000 individual salsas were offered." Based on
these figures, one can surmise that those who don't have at least
one bottle of prepared salsa in the pantry are part of a distinct
minority.
Moreover, the country's growing Hispanic population has heightened
the broadening interest in regional Mexican cuisine, the flavors of
Latin America and traditional Spanish fare. Indeed, Mexican and
Southwestern foods have become such a signature of American culture
that the first Latin American culinary awards took place in Beverly
Hills this summer.
But despite its heritage, salsa has outgrown its Hispanic roots.
Concoctions made with papaya, pineapple, mango, black beans, olives,
ginger, basil, lemon grass and chili oil, to name several examples,
now appear alongside the traditional salsa fresca, which essentially
comprises fresh tomatoes, onion, chilies, cilantro and lime juice.
Given the global ingredients, some of today's salsas bear more
kinship to the condiments of Southeast Asia or the West Indies than
to Latin America. Indeed, the resourceful instincts that spawned
salsa fresca in the first place also inspired similar unions in
other cuisines, evidenced in the sambals from Indonesia and
Malaysia, the chutneys from India, pesto from Italy, tapenade from
France and even harissa from Morocco.
In the Mexican kitchen, salsa has been an indispensable element
since the Aztec civilization. Many regional varieties encompass both
cooked and uncooked versions. What they have in common is the
explosion of bright flavors, distinct but perfectly balanced, that
each produces.
North Americans first embraced these simple mixtures, ranging in
heat from mild to fiery, as a dip for tortilla chips and eventually
adapted them as ready companions for main dishes, marinades for
grilled foods and bases for stews and soups - mimicking their uses
in Central America.
We took to them for a variety of reasons, among which they're low in
fat, cholesterol and calories, and their bold flavors are ideally
suited to Americans' favorite summer pastime - barbecuing. They also
possess transformative properties, a welcome asset for wine lovers
who wish to add earthy intensity, smoky nuance or fruit character to
a plain piece of broiled fish.
The single most identifiable element of salsa is the chili pepper -
so much so that it's a chief consideration when attempting to pair
wine with a chili-driven, salsa-accented dish. "Chilies have the
wonderful quality of bringing all foods to life, which is probably
why they are the most widely used seasoning in the world," notes
Chef-author Mark Miller, the proprietor of a string of Southwestern
cuisine-based restaurants, foremost among them the Coyote Café
(Santa Fe). Chef Susan Feniger of Border Grill (Los Angeles) fame
adds, "Although chili peppers are enjoyed the world over, chilies
have been misunderstood as an ingredient, perhaps because of their
striking heat."
When composing a meal centered around wine, one should proceed
cautiously. Because most of a chili's heat can be found in the inner
membranes of the pod, one can achieve piquancy rather than searing
spiciness by scooping out the seeds and the veins beforehand. A
chili's heat will vary according to the season, too, so an astute
cook will cut into a pepper, touch their fingertip to the cut
surface, taste it and then adjust the quantity accordingly.
Usually, the smaller the pepper, the more intense the heat. Red
indicates a ripe and probably sweet chili. "If you stop to
appreciate chilies, you'll start to notice a wide range of exotic
flavors," Feniger says. "From snappy, sparkly jalapeños to smoky
chipotles (dried and smoked jalapeños) and earthy poblanos and
anchos (dried poblanos), chilies are a light, healthful way to bring
a range of strong, new flavors to salsas." Often rehydrated in hot
water before use, dried chilies have a different taste and texture
from fresh chilies; the two are not used interchangeably. But both
fresh and dried chilies can be toasted to transform their flavor and
texture.
Indeed, subtlety is not a general trait of these sauces. All
successful salsa variations include a number of intense, loudly
competing flavors - some sweet, some sour, some hot, some earthy -
that seem to tantalize every taste bud at the same time. Neither is
a refined cooking technique a valuable commodity when it comes to
salsas. Most require no more than chopping and stirring or, at most,
a few minutes' use of a saucepan or a food processor. Uncooked
salsas preserve the heat in the peppers. Cooked salsas usually
require a three-step process of heating (by boiling, broiling,
sautéeing or roasting), puréeing and then straining.
Like most Americans, even wine lovers are turning up their
thermometers and enjoying the salsa heat. More citrusy salsas work
well with white wines such as Chablis and Sauvignon Blanc that show
similar lime, grapefruit and pineapple flavors; Gewürztraminer, with
its sometimes spicy and sometimes floral traits, makes a good match
as well. Wines with an inherent spiciness, such as Syrah and
Zinfandel, can partner with earthy, somewhat piquant salsas,
especially if the chilies are smoky.
Much in the way one learns about wine, discovering the perfect
complement is often a trial-and-error process. What is clear is that
both professional chefs and savvy home cooks are exploring
combinations that reach far beyond the simple salsa frescas that
started the trend. We're now chopping up chilies, cucumbers, fungi
and fruits, and using them in combinations that were unimaginable
just a few years ago.
Much like pizza before it, salsa first went mainstream and then
upscale. And surely no chef has more clearly defined salsa or done
more to bring it to prominence than Miller, whose original Coyote
Café in Santa Fe subsequently inspired a sister restaurant in Las
Vegas and Red Sage in Washington, D.C. He has also brought the
Southwest pantry into the American home with the creation in 1992 of
the Coyote Cocina line of specialty salsas, marinades and hot
sauces.
Armed with a degree in anthropology, Miller champions the foods of
his adopted region in his bestselling restaurant cookbooks Coyote
Café and Coyote's Pantry as well as in The Great Chile Book and The
Great Salsa Book. "The increasing popularity of salsas means that
American chefs are waking up," he notes. "They are exploring a world
of different ingredients and learning that the technique of putting
strong flavors together allows for greater expression and leads to
wonderful taste discoveries."
Miller characterizes salsas as a combination of raw, cooked or
partially cooked ingredients that are put together to form a
harmonious chord. "In a good salsa, each component retains its own
taste, texture, and personality so that each bite will contain a
myriad of flavors and a kaleidoscope of textures," he explains.
The salsa frontier is also being thoroughly explored in Rick Bayless'
tony Frontera Grill and Topolobampo (both in Chicago) where the
acclaimed chef and authority on Mexican cuisine has elevated the
condiment way beyond green or red table salsa. Bayless, who penned
Salsas that Cook, among other notable cookbooks, has introduced
salsa connoisseurs to more complex versions with a preliminary
"toasting" or "roasting" of the ingredients. "If we roast onions and
garlic, as well as tomatoes and chilies, they last a lot longer," he
says. By doing so, "we also mellow their aggressive flavors and
bring up their sweetness." What is more, Bayless accomplishes this
without the addition of any fat. This, he says, is the secret behind
the clarity and distinctiveness of his salsas, whether they are
enjoyed at the restaurants or from the bottle (he recently added a
line of five salsas to his Frontera line).
Like Miller, Bayless cooks with the salsas in a variety of ways,
using them as seasoning for the filling in empanadas; as a base for
soups; as part of the emulsification for salad dressings; as a
garnish for mashed potatoes, macaroni-and-cheese or savory bread
pudding; as a topping for chicken breasts or fish fillets; or as a
head start on a pasta sauce.
Indeed, many American chefs, and not just those specializing in
Southwestern or Mexican cooking, are now finding in salsa the kind
of creative outlet that Italy's pesto also affords. Chef-proprietor
and cookbook author Allen Susser (Chef Allen's, Aventura, Florida),
says, "Salsa covers the gamut for breakfast, lunch and dinner -
tropical fruit salsa on pancakes, savory and spicy salsa on grilled
steaks or chops, sweetly textured salsa on fish, nut salsa on
dessert." He notes that experimentation is one of the great things
about salsa, but cautions, "You can't just throw ingredients wildly
together - they have to make a connection with culture and history."
He treats salsa as "a foil, a contrast to the flavor of whatever it
is being served with," which is precisely how his salsa of black
beans, dried mangoes, dried apricots, sun-dried tomatoes and
jalapeño pepper behaves when paired with char-grilled shrimp or
cumin-roasted chicken. Susser's flavor counterpoints, many of which
are collected in The Great Mango Book, have proven so successful
he's also bottled them for the home cook to buy in gourmet markets
under the Chef Allen's label.
Salsa is a hallmark on the menus of chef-owners Susan Feniger and
Mary Sue Milliken (other than operating Border Grills in Los Angeles
and Las Vegas, they also run Ciudad in Los Angeles). With their
cookbooks, such as Mesa Mexicana and Cantina, and Food Network
television shows Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour, the duo has
been at the forefront of educating Americans about authentic Mexican
salsas. "Salsas are the heart and soul of the Mexican kitchen,"
Milliken says.
Still, classical European elements fascinate them, and they often
compose salsas that trade on influences from France and the
Mediterranean. For instance, their grilled fish is served with a
salsa made from olives, oregano, red onions and vinegar that would
seem perfectly suited in Madrid. The platter of oysters at Ciudad is
another example, served with three salsas: one made with chipotle
peppers, red onions, olive oil and vinegar; another with chopped,
uncooked tomatillos, cilantro, olive oil and jalapeños; and a purée
of shallots, red wine and vinegar.
"Salsa, to me, is simply a chopped-up cold sauce," Feniger says.
"For an Asian touch, we prepare a salsa of dried aji Amarillo
peppers, chopped red onions, lime juice puréed with olive oil and
ginger as a foil for raw tuna. It's a balancing act," she explains,
"the rich flavor of the tuna versus the acidic, sweet, spicy flavor
of the salsa."
Massachusetts-based Chef Chris Schlesinger (East Coast Grill,
Cambridge; Black Eddy, Westport) also touts balance, but loves the
boldness of a good salsa. Similar to the Latin dance that shares the
name, the best salsas are "wild, loose, and loud," he says.
This description captures the spirit of the deep, chunky salsas that
combine flavorful, raw fruits and vegetables with fresh herbs and
spices commonly used in Mexico and Latin America. Schlesinger, who
with John Willoughby wrote Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys & Chowchows,
notes that it was papaya salsa that first hooked him. "The salsas
that restaurants typically serve with grilled fish or roasted meats
are complex and full of intense, conflicting flavors. Because they
come from the southern half of the Western Hemisphere, they usually
include herbs like cilantro and oregano, spices like cumin and chili
powder, and a range of vegetables and fruits from corn to tomatoes,
jicama to pineapples, and mangoes to tomatillos," he explains.
Schlesinger adds that salsas can lend urgency to steamed vegetables,
or brighten up heavier starch dishes such as rice.
As far as the condiment's renown goes, strictly continental American
chefs do not have a monopoly. Japanese über-toque Nobu Matsuhisa
puts his stamp on the substance with his "Maui onion salsa," made
with onions, tomatoes and ponzu sauce. Noted Indian cookbook author
Julie Sahni lavishes a mild and sweet tomato-radish salsa (called
kachoomar) on tandoori meats, roasts and grilled chicken. Mark
Miller has even taken salsa down under via his restaurant Wildfire
in Sydney, Australia.
Indeed, these days "global warming" may refer as much to our shared
taste for the heat imparted by salsas as it does to weather
patterns. And here in the Americas, salsa is like the people who eat
it - cross-pollinated until the whole is often more interesting than
the parts.
Article
first published in The Wine News
Food Editor
Carole Kotkin is a Miami-based cooking instructor and consultant
who co-authored Mmmmiami
- Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere. It
provides clear, simple directions for 150 dishes, from the simple
(good old Key Lime Pie) to the sublime (Coconut Mahi-Mahi with Passion
Fruit Sauce). The wide array of flavors is especially wonderful
and startling to those used to monocultural cooking; Miami cuisine
is the product of many generations of interbreeding and hybrid vigor.
Click on the link below for more details or to order.
Mmmmiami
: Tempting Tropical Tastes for Cooks Everywhere
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articles courtesy of The
Wine News
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