Fresh pico de gallo

About fresh pico de gallo

Pico de gallo is a fresh, uncooked Mexican salsa of chopped tomato, white onion, fresh chilli, coriander and lime juice. It is also called salsa fresca, salsa mexicana or salsa bandera, because the red, white and green match the Mexican flag.

It is chunky rather than saucy, so it works as a topping and a side as much as a dip. The tomato gives juiciness, the onion crunch, the chilli a clean heat and the lime a sharp lift. Because nothing is cooked, the quality of the tomatoes matters more than anything else.

Spoon it over tacos, fajitas, grilled chicken or fish, eggs, quesadillas, nachos and burrito bowls. The one trick that makes it good rather than watery is to salt the diced tomatoes and drain them for 10 minutes before mixing.

Tips

• Remove the seeds and watery pulp from the tomatoes, dice the firm flesh, then salt and drain it in a sieve for 10 minutes. This stops the pico turning into a puddle.
• Rinse the chopped onion under cold water for 20 seconds and shake it dry if you want a milder, less sharp onion flavour.
• Use ripe tomatoes. If yours are pale and hard, ripen them on a sunny windowsill for a few days, or use vine tomatoes, which are usually the most flavourful in the UK.
• Add the lime juice and coriander at the last minute. Left to sit for a long time they dull and the salsa goes soft.
• Use a serrano chilli for proper heat, jalapeño for medium and half a jalapeño with no seeds for mild.

Storing and freezing

Best eaten within a few hours. It keeps in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days, getting wetter each day; drain off any liquid before serving. It does not freeze well because the tomatoes turn mushy.