Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz tomatoes, canned
• 1 green onion
• 1 red onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 lime, juice squeezed
• 1 chilli pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin

Method

Core technique here is controlled texture — you want the salsa to fracture, not purée. The food-processor-cooking method works only if you pulse, never blend continuously. Dice your fresh tomatoes (roughly 680g) into 1cm chunks before they go anywhere near the machine; the canned tomatoes (drained weight around 400g) can go in whole since they're already broken down. This matters: fresh tomato cell walls shatter cleanly under the blade, whilst prolonged processing releases too much liquid and turns the result into a slurry.

Pulse the fresh tomatoes for two or three one-second bursts until you see roughly half the pieces still intact and half are crushed. Add the drained canned tomatoes and pulse once more. The wet ingredient now coats the blade; transfer to a bowl. Roughly chop the red and green onion (keep them separate), the jalapeño and the chilli pepper, and add them raw. Don't process these — the onion especially will turn acrid under friction, and cilantro will bruise and darken if chopped mechanically rather than by hand. Tear the cilantro leaves by hand and stir in. Mince the garlic clove finely (a microplane works here, or a knife if you're sharp) and add it immediately. The raw garlic compounds need immediate contact with the lime juice to mellow slightly; the acid stops them from becoming harsh.

Squeeze the lime juice directly into the salsa and stir thoroughly for thirty seconds. The tomato flesh will continue releasing water over the next few minutes as the acid and salt denature the cell walls — this is why you don't over-process upfront. Add the cumin and taste. Most salsas need more salt than you'd expect; start with half a teaspoon and build from there.

Chill for at least one hour before serving. The cold brings the flavours into focus and allows the alliums to soften slightly without losing their sharpness. Salsa keeps for five days refrigerated if you've been rigorous about removing liquid and keeping everything submerged; after that, mould and fermentation set in. Stir before serving — the liquid will have separated.