Jenine C. Ouillette/Special to the Eagle

Margarita’s Authentic Mexican Food’s Executive Chef/Owner Ismael Perez demonstrates how Sysco’s heavy-duty commercial immersion blender can easily chop gallons of chile peppers that he uses to make several home-made salsas served in the restaurant.

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Restaurant: Margarita’s Authentic Mexican Food, 1069 N. Collier Blvd. #221, Marco Town Center. Phone: 394-6555

Q: What is your favorite kitchen gizmo — the one you reach for most of the time?

A: My Sysco’s heavy-duty commercial immersion blender because it’s a great time saver. It would take me hours to chop gallons of chile peppers by hand or with those little immersion blenders that are very efficient when you want to puree a couple of quarts of cooked vegetables. Don’t forget, we use pounds of dry chile peppers that we put in an 8-gallon pot and soak (reconstitute) them in fresh water to soften and plump them and then I chop them fine to make my special red chile, tortilla and enchilada sauces. My large immersion blender is really handy to chop the tomatillos for Margarita’s famous Salsa Verde that I make with fresh tomatillos and other ingredients.

Here’s the recipe:

To make Margarita’s Salsa Verde for home cooks, take one pound of whole tomatillos, husked (the thin papery covering) and a couple of jalapeno peppers and place them in a roasting pan and broil until they’re soft but not burned. Transfer the soft tomatillos to a bowl. When the jalapenos are cool enough to handle, discard the stems and seeds add them to the bowl with one teaspoon salt and pinch of sugar. Meanwhile, chop a couple of onions and mince a couple cloves (little sections) of garlic and sauté in a few tablespoons of oil until golden. Add the fried onions and garlic to the bowl of tomatillo and jalapenos and stir briefly to combine. Insert the immersion blender and process until desired texture is reached. You may also process the mixture in batches using a conventional blender.

Where to buy it:

Sysco’s only sells to the restaurant trade, but Commercial Glass and Restaurant Supply Inc., 4027 Arnold Ave., Naples, Phone: 643-0177 is a good local source, as is Bed, Bath and Beyond or Linens & Things.