Cascabel Roast Apple Raisin Salsa

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raisins
1 cup warm fresh apple cider or water
4 green apples, peeled, cored and cut into small dice (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup fresh apple cider
5 dried cascabel chiles, stemmed and seeded
1/8 Tbsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. canela or cinnamon
pinch of salt

Instructions:

Slightly rehydrate the raisins in warm apple cider or water for 5 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid, and transfer the raisins to a mixing bowl.

In a stainless steel saucepan, cook the apples with the sugar and cider for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until tender. Stir in the raisins.

Toast the cascabel chiles and rehydrate them in 2/3 cup of the reserved raisin liquid. Drain the chiles, again reserving the liquid, and transfer to food processor or blender. If it is not bitter, add the reserved liquid; otherwise, add 2/3 cup plain water. Add 2 Tbsp. of the raisin-apple mixture and puree. Transfer it to a saucepan and reduce by about half over medium-high heat; the mixture will be quite thick. Strain through a fine strainer into a clean bowl, discarding the solids. Add the rest of the raisin-apple mixture, the allspice, canela or cinnamon, and salt, and combine thoroughly.

Recipe by Chef Jesse Perez of Francescas at Sunset, in San Antonio, Texas.