Name: Salsa roja
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 dried ancho chilli, stemmed and seeded; 1 dried Anaheim chilli, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried chipotle chillies, stemmed and seeded; 1 tbsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 250ml hot water; 8 plum tomatoes, quartered; 1 medium Spanish onion, sliced; 3 garlic cloves; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 sprigs coriander leaves; 1 tbsp granulated sugar; 1 lime, juiced

1) Tear all the chillies into large pieces and toast them in a large dry skillet over medium heat until they change color a bit, about 2 minutes. Add the spices and continue to toast for 2 to 3 minutes until everything is fragrant. Remove from heat and carefully add about 1 cup of hot water to just cover the chillies. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

2) Preheat the grill. Put the quartered tomatoes, sliced onion, and whole garlic cloves onto a roasting tray, spreading out evenly. Drizzle with plenty of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle with coriander sprigs. Grill until everything is nicely charred, about 10 minutes (you want lots of deep rich color so don't be afraid if some of the edges get pretty black).

3) Add the chilli mixture to a blender and puree. Remove the tomato/onion mixture from the roasting pan and carefully add it to the blender, (it will be hot). Blend until smooth (you may need to work in 2 batches). Once everything is pureed, pour the mixture back into the pot over low heat adding a little water if the salsa is too thick. Stir in the sugar and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve.