East African Tomato Salad

Ingredients

For 4 servings

• •1 /2 small red onion (3 ounces; 85g), thinly sliced
• •1 1/2 pounds (680g) ripe plum or Roma tomatoes (about 6 large), cored and diced into 1-inch bite-size pieces (about 3 cups) (see notes)
• •3 /4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste; for table salt use half as much by volume
• •1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chile pepper, stemmed and sliced into thin rings or finely diced (see notes)
• •1 /2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (from 1 small bunch cilantro)
• •2 c. à soupe (30ml) fresh lime or lemon juice, plus more to taste

Method

1. 1.In a large bowl, cover onion with hot water (110 to 130℉) and let sit for 1 minute. Drain with a colander, then briefly rinse under hot water, and transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
2. 2.Place chopped tomatoes in the now-empty colander set over the now-empty large bowl and season with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to coat. Set aside at room temperature to drain, tossing occasionally until tomatoes release their juices, a minimum of 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
3. 3.Discard juice from bowl, and transfer the tomatoes to the now-empty large bowl. Add the rinsed onions, serrano, cilantro, and lemon or lime juice. Season with salt and extra lime or lemon juice to taste, if needed. Serve immediately.