I recently acquired some poblano peppers & huge sweet peppers that were just the size for stuffing, so I decided to make an attempt at authentic Chiles Rellenos. The result was truly ah-mazing. The process is pretty easy, but also time consuming.
I started out with 4 poblano peppers & 6 large sweet peppers.
I placed them on a cooling rack perched on top of a baking sheet & broiled them for 5-8 minutes on each side so they were blackened & blistered.
Peel off the skins from each of the peppers.
Cut a lengthwise slit into each pepper. Remove the seeds. I rinsed the inside of mine out, and patted them dry.
Form 3 cups of cheese into cone like shapes & stuff them inside of the peppers. Freshly shredded cheese works best as it sticks & clumps to each other much easier. Use toothpicks to close the ends together.
Dredge each of the peppers in flour & place on a baking sheet. Put them in the freezer for at least an hour.
Add in 2 tablespoons of minced garlic....
...2 (14.5)oz cans of diced tomatoes that have been pureed in a blender....
...2 cups of chicken broth...
..
...2 tablespoons of taco seasoning....
And a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce!
...
Simmer for 45 minutes.
Ok, now it's time to start on the batter for the chiles. Separate the yolk & whites from 10 eggs, saving all 10 egg whites & 2 egg yolks.
Beat the egg whites until thickened.
Give the egg yolks & quick beating & pour them into the thickened egg whites, along with 2/3 cup all purpose flour & 1 tablespoon of salt.
Gently fold it all together.
Preheat a large, deep skillet with vegetable oil. Remove the peppers from the freezer & discard the toothpicks. Sprinkle a little flour on each side. Using a spoon, gently coat each pepper with the batter. Fry each pepper until brown on each side.
Serve on top of a 'pool' of the sauce.
I served my Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers along side.
If you would like to make this as a freezer meal, instead of removing them & battering them, flash freeze them & store them in a large freezer bag for future meals.
Chiles Rellenos
Ingredients:
For the peppers:
For the peppers:
- 8 large poblano peppers (or other large mexican pepper)
- 3 cups of freshly shredded pepperjack cheese
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour for dredging
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- hot sauce to taste
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 egg white, at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour for dredging
- oil for frying
Instructions:
Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source.
Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 8 minutes per side. When the peppers are about blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 30 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins.
Divide the cheese into 8 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks.
Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
To make sauce, blend the diced tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, taco seasoning, & hot pepper sauce. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce about 45 minutes, stirring often.
To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter.
Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter.
Heat frying oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side.
To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce.
