Traditional Chiles Rellenos
Ingredients
- 4 units Poblano peppers with stems (do not remove them at any point as they will help you maneuver the Poblanos though all the steps) skin blistered, peeled, carefully opened on one side, seeded and deveined.
- 2 cups natural canned tomato puree
- 2 cups water
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more to fry the chiles
- 1 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese cut in Poblano-size sticks
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs divided
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- parsley for garnish chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Poblanos:
- Heat a large heavy skillet or grill. Once hot, place your Poblanos inside and, using tongs, flip them every so often so that all the skin blisters evenly. Do not burn the flesh. The point is just to blister the skin. When the skin on the Poblanos is evenly blistered, place them in a plastic bag and let them sweat for 10 - 15 minutes.
- In a large pot, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil . While the chilies sweat, make the tomato broth. Mix tomato puree, water, chicken bouillon, freshly ground pepper and garlic powder. Pour into the pot with the oil and let the puree mix cook, over low-medium heat. Bring to a boil, covered, 7 - 10 minutes, until all the froth is gone. Check your seasoning and add a bit more bouillon and/or freshly ground black pepper if needed.
- Once the chilies have sweat, and wearing food-grade gloves, peel them. Make a lengthwise, regular-size incision on the side of each Poblano. Do not go all the way down to the tip of the chili and do not cut all the way through the Poblano. Cut only on one side, Carefully, trying not to tear the chili, remove the seeds and veins. Stuff the chilies with enough cheese.
- Place the flour in a deep baking dish. Whip up the egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Then add the yolks one by one and whip each one until fully integrated. Then add the next yolk.
- Heat up enough olive oil in a large skillet to fry the Poblanos. Dredge each Poblano first in the flour and then pass them through the whipped eggs, being careful that the cheese does not fall out of the Poblano, and coating each chili completely with the eggs. The eggs act as a barrier between the hot oil and the cheese inside the Poblanos. If the cheese gets in touch with the hot oil it will splatter, hence the importance of completely covering each Poblano with eggs. You can close the Poblanos with tooth picks, to make it easier; just remember to remove them before plating. When the oil is hot enough, carefully place each chili in it and fry on each side until golden brown. Use the Poblano stems to help you turn the Poblanos on every side, very carefully (make sure to wear heat resistant gloves that allow your hands and fingers to freely move) so they will fry evenly. For the egg on the stem end to fry, use a heat-resistant spatula and carefully push the hot oil into it so that the egg there fries too and turns a golden hue also. Once the Poblanos are golden all over, place them on paper towels to absorb any extra grease, then place them in the hot tomato broth and heat everything through.
- Serve hot. Mix the sour cream with the milk to make it runnier. Then garnish each Poblano with the sour cream and the chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
You can prepare the Poblanos beforehand and keep them in the fridge up to 3 days. Then stuff, dredge and pass them through the eggs and fry.