Seafood in Tomatillo Sauce
Tomatilloes are easily found in large supermarkets and all Mexican grocery stores. Of course even more readily available is canned or jarred salsa verde made from these tart berries ( tomatilloes actually are not botanically related to tomatoes in any way) but Cafe Drake's homemade version tastes fresher and is lesslikely to induce a sodium overdose.
SEAFOOD IN TOMATILLO SAUCE
Begin by removing the papery husks from 1 1/2 lbs. of fresh tomatilloes. Leave small ones whole and halve or quarter large tomatilloes. Toss with olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 3 cloves of whole garlic, 2 halved jalapeno peppers and roast in a single layer on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the "berries" have begun to break down and release their juices. Place baking sheet under the broiler for a minute or two, just to char slightly. Don't burn!
Transfer the contents of the baking sheet to a blender and process till smooth-ish ( a few chunks are fine). Place the puree in a saucepan and add: about 1 t. ground cumin and 1/2 t. dried oregano. Throw in a generous pinch of ground allspice and sugar to taste ( we use about 1-2 T.). Tomatilloes are mind-bending in their extreme tartness so adjust salt/sugar until you have the right balance. Simmer in a low flame, uncovered for 10 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, thin with a bit of water or stock.
Finally, add your favorite seafood to the sauce; above, we used scallops, shrimp and calamari rings (all frozen from Trader Joe's). Cook for another couple of minutes or just until seafood is cooked through.
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