recipe for chile relleno

[nancya]

I'm seeking an authentic recipe for chile relleno. As far as I can tell, everyone has their own version. Most recipes I have found are more like a strata or fritatta. I am looking for the type that use the whole chile.

Also want a good green chile recipe.

Thanks in advance!

[Kimmie]

Chile Relleno

You will find one in "In Julia's Kitchen". A recipe from Zarela Martinez. You might also want to check any of Zarela's books.

I would also go with Rick Bayless.

[Greg]

This isn't a specific recipe, but the basics, acording to my friends the Herrera sisters, are a skinned poblano pepper stuffed with your stuffing of choice, battered and deep-fried.

[Kimmie]

Your right Greg. Here's Zarela's recipe, Nancya:

It translates to "Stuffed Poblano Chiles"

The poblano chiles are stuffed with a mixture of braised meat (usually pork) and assorted dried and fresh fruits, then usually dipped in beaten egg and deep-fried. The chiles are then covered with a sauce made with a type of cream cheese and ground unripe pecans or walnuts and garnished with pomegranate seeds.

Because you cannot get all the crucial ingredients in the here, meaning in USA, at the same time-–pomegranates are not ripe at the time when young walnuts are on the tree, even supposing you could by the walnuts here at the right stage.

That's the reason why Zarela Martinez developed another version of stuffed poblanos, stuffed instead of batter-fried, that is filled with a mixture of cooked chicken and dried fruits and is one of the most beloved dishes at her restaurant. The sauce is a cream-enriched variation on the basic combination of roasted tomato, onion, and garlic that underlies so many Mexican sauces.

6 large poblano chiles
Vegetable oil for frying
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted better
1 medium-size onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced
½ cup pitted prunes, coarsely diced
½ cup dried apricots, coarsely diced
½ cup dried peaches, coarsely diced
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground true (Ceylon) cinnamon, preferably freshly ground in a spice grinder, or ½ teaspoon cassia cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (or pork)
Salt to taste
Salsa de Tomate Asado (follows)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees f.

Make a small (1 to 1½ inches long) lengthwise slit in each chile. Pour the oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of about ½ inch and heat over high heat until very hot but not quite smoking. Fry the chiles, two at a time, turning once or twice, until they puff up and take on an olive-beige color. Remove from the pan as they are done. Carefully peel the chiles under cold running water. Very gently pull out the seeds through the slit in each chile, being sure not to tear the flesh. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and fragrant. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the olives and dried fruit and cook, stirring, another 3 minutes. Add the olives and dried fruit and cook, stirring, another 3 minutes. Add the spices and chicken and cook, stirring to combine, for 2 minutes more. Season with salt.

Carefully fill the chiles with the mixture through the slit in each. Bake on a greased baking sheet or shallow pan for 7 minutes.

Spoon the tomato sauce onto individual plates or a large serving platter and arrange the chiles on top.

Yield: 6 servings

Salsa de Tomate Asado (Roasted Tomato Sauce)

1 ½ cups heavy dream
8 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 medium-size onion, unpeeled, halved crosswise
3 to 4 large ripe, red tomatoes (about 2 3/4 lbs. total)
Salt

Cook down the cream in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until reduced by about a third. Set aside.

Heat a heavy cast-iron griddle or skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Roast the unpeeled garlic cloves and onion, turning several times, until the garlic is dark on all sides and somewhat softened and the onion is partly blackened and fragrant. Set aside. Roast the tomatoes in the same way, turning several times, until blistered on all sides. Let cool until just cool enough to handle. Peel the garlic cloves and place in a blender. Peel the onion, rubbing away any charred bits, and add to the garlic. Peel the tomatoes directly over the blender so as not to lose any juice and add to the garlic and onion. Puree on medium speed until smooth. Add the cream and process until blended. Season with salt.

Can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.

Yield: about 4 cups

[Kimmie]

I will check for the green chile recipe. I might have that too!

njoy!

[shroomgirl]

This is more plebian, but a whole lot quicker....peeled anaheim stuffed with cheddar ( I use ex. sharP) battered with
flour
salt
egg yolks
egg whites beat until stiff
alittle milk or water to thin
mix the flour, salt, yolks thin to a pancake batter consistancy fold in stiff whites
lightly flour your stuffed chilis and run through batter, pan fry in oil.
great with fresh salsa. Not an explicit recipe sorry

[Pooh]

Shroom,

Nancya was asking for authentic!

Note that I plan to try yours, even if it's not authentic however.

[Greg]

Actually, chiles rellenos tranlates to "stuffed chile", not specifically poblano. Although poblanos may actually be the chile used in the traditional version of the dish (I'll check), anaheims are also a mild pepper and are a good substitute. As far as what they are stuffed with, there is no traditional stuffing, according to my Mexican friends. Personally, I like the cheddar-stuffed version, but have also had them with a beef stuffing.

[shroomgirl]

Yep Pooh I reread her request, and indeed she asked for authentic whole chilis....
with only stratas and fritatas as recipes she'd found.
So that is why I through in the quick version of what I grew up with in Mexican restaurants....Not a hard core meat filled recipe but mine takes 10 minutes and I've eaten them in "authentic restaurants"
I think I put a caveat on the post if not....
this one is quick and fairly easy, I like it as a veg dinner option.

[nancya]

Hey Shroomgirl, forgive the "authentic." Your version is the one I was looking for - but doesn't the Z one sound interesting too? Going to have to try them both.

[Pooh]

Ah Shroom, that's exactly why I want to try it. 10 minutes suits me just fine after a hard day's work.

and Nancya, the Z one is REALLY good. You have to do this when you feel like cooking for cooking's sake!

Do njoy both!

[mudbug]

nancya,

Look here for more sources for chile relleno recipes with whole chiles.

[Pete]

I have never cared for the egg batter that is used in the traditional recipe for chile rellenos. Instead, I like to bread mine with crushed, fried corn tortillas. Use the 3 step method of flour, eggwash, then the tortillas. I know that this is not authentic, but I personally like this much better.

[W.DeBord]

This is how I was taught my my Mexican Sous Chef.

Roast/char your peppers over the open flame on your burner. Put it in a plastic bag to sweat, then peel off the burned skin.

You should use traditional cheese (which I can't spell) it's cha wow wow (sound it out it's like the little dog). It's a mild white cheese not unlike montery jack but much cheaper.

Cut 3/4 of the way thru the pepper at the top to create an opening. Pull out seeds then stuff with a hunk of cheese. Use a tooth pick to secure the top back into place so the cheese can't leak out.

Heat fat in a frying pan (they don't use deep friers for this). When it's hot then whip egg batter.

Whip equal amounts of egg whites until stiff (but not dry) then pour your equal amount of egg yolk into the mixer with the whites until they incorporate. The whites will not deflate. Dip your chile into this batter and place in hot frying pan. Turn over and fry other side, when done and pull out tooth pick.

They don't make this with written recipes it's according to how much you want to make.... 6 eggs would cover 8 or so chiles....


Unforunately they didn't have the ingredients to make sauce that day. But they enjoy it with a fresh salsa, slices of avocado, squeeze of lime juice and sour cream. According to the guys their wifes usually do the home cooking and they rarely make their own traditional foods.

Hope this helps....

[Pooh]

Hi Wendy,

Great post there. Thank you.