Chile rellenos pt 1

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
12 Fresh Anaheim or Poblano chiles;canned may, be substituted
Jack cheese or Queso Fresco
Olive oil; to fry in
6 Eggs
5 teaspoons White wheat flour
½ teaspoon Baking powder
Olive oil
1 large Fresh clove of garlic; minced
½ Onion; minced
2 cups Canned tomatoes; solid pack
2 cups Chicken broth
1½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dried oregano leaves; crumbled
Cornstarch

Directions

CHILES

BATTER

SAUCE

Preparation Of The Chiles: The chiles should be fresh, firm and shiny.

Avoid buying ones that are dull, soft and wrinkled as they are old and will be too soft after they have been seared and skinned. The fresher they are the easier they will skin and handle when stuffing and cooking. The chile that is used in this country most frequently is the green Anaheim chile but the traditional chile used by Mexicans is the Poblano chile. This is frequently called a Pasilla chile in California and is shorter and wider than the Anaheim. It is also darker in color and the taste is a little stronger. I also think they are harder to skin than the Anaheim chile, even when well seared. However, both are mild in flavor and eat and work very well in this dish.

In order to skin the chiles they must be seared on the outside until they are black. Ideally you want them just cooked but still firm. In order to do this you must use a high hot flame or heat and it should be done quickly so as not to cook the chiles too much. I have used red hot heating elements on electric stoves, gas burners on gas stoves and hot grease in deep fat fryers. All of these methods work to one degree or another but the one I now use all the time is the broiler in an electric oven. Put the broiler on high broil, place the rack up as high as it will go and cover the broiling pan with aluminum foil. Before searing the chile wrap the stem with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning off and make a small slit in each chile to let the steam that forms escape. Be sure the broiler is very hot before you start. Place the chiles on the broiler pan and sear on all sides until black. Remove from the broiler and place in a plastic bag. Seal and allow to stand for 5 to 6 minutes. When cool enough to handle,(wear rubber gloves), remove the skin and aluminum foil covering the stem under a light stream of running water. After peeling the chile make a slit on one side about ¾ of the length of the chile and remove the seeds and veins being careful not to rip the chile. The seeds and veins are what gives the chiles most of their heat so the better you remove them the more mild they will be. Drain the chiles on paper towels and then gently wipe them dry. If the chiles are wet the batter will not stick as well. Some people feel you should not rinse the chiles under water as it removes the natural oils and flavors. However, I rinse mine. To stuff the chile most people use jack cheese. When melted this will become quite runny and I now like to use the Mexican cheese, Queso Fresco.

I find that it will remain firmer when heated, similar to mozzarella cheese used on pizzas. Which ever cheese you use, cut it into strips approximately as long as the chile and about ½ inch square. In larger chiles you may want to use 2 strips of cheese. Place 1 or 2 strips carefully in each chile and fold the ends of the cut in the chile over each other and set aside .

Continue until all the chiles are stuffed. Place in the refrigerator uncovered if you are going to use them in the near future and allow to air dry until ready to cook. ( If you use canned chiles the procedure is the same except you will not have to sear and peel them.) Preparing The Batter: For best results the eggs should be at room temperature as the egg whites will whip up stiffer. Do not make the batter until you are ready to cook the chiles because if allowed to stand it will begin to liquify in the bottom of the bowl. When adding the flour to the egg yolks don't add too much. They should still be shiny and runny enough that they will fold into the beaten egg whites, yet enough flour is needed to bind the batter. I use a rough guide of 1 tsp per egg yolk. Sometimes less and sometimes more. Remember, they have to fold into the egg whites.

In a small bowl mix the flour and baking powder together. Separate the eggs and beat the yolks, slowly adding the flour mixture. Do not get it too thick ! In another large bowl beat the whites until stiff. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the whites and blend well but do not flatten the whites. The batter is now ready and should be light and fluffy.

Cooking The Rellenos: In a large frying pan pour enough olive oil in to make it about ½ to

continued in part 2

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