"It's Creamy, But Very Spicy"

Ah, that is what I felt the first time I tried this salsa at a friends place in NYC many moons ago. Then the next question, who made this? and how can we get more. It turns out that it was from a neighborhood restaurant - that I became a fan until my taste buds were able to tell me what was inside this magic potion called Habanero-Roasted Tomato Salsa.

This Habanero-Roasted tomato salsa is my interpretation of that salsa. I have to say that I have played with it for years but I think I am at a point where I can share the recipe.

This salsa is definitely on the "hot" side of the spectrum. Though you can adjust the level of tomato and Habaneros according to your taste preference.

5 Roma tomatoes

1 Habanero pepper (I like the orange ones for this recipe)

1/4 medium onion

1 garlic clove (a big one)

1/4 cup heavy cream (ambient temperature)

A couple of grape or cherry tomatoes

1 Tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp of canola oil

1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper (adjust to taste at the end)

Turn your oven to 350 and place your roma tomatoes, habanero pepper, garlic and onion on a baking sheet for 20 min or until they have some strong roasted look. Peel tomatoes and add them to blender with garlic, salt and pepper. Press pulse 5-6 times for 3-4 seconds each time.

In a pan, add canola oil turn your burner to medium heat and just before it hits the smoking point, add salsa to the pan. Let it warm up for 2-3 min over low/med then add cream and stir quickly. Turn it off. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.

To finish up, finely chop the grape/cherry tomatoes then put them on a hot skillet with the olive oil for about a minute over medium heat. Top your salsa bowl with this aromatic tomato mixture and get ready to enjoy.

This salsa is a great companion to carne asada tacos or your favorite filling. I also like to eat it with burritos that have avocado inside; it helps balance the heat. If you have a favorite salsa, feel free to share it. It doesn't have to be spicy!