Chile Rellenos

By lorik

Ingredients

• Variation from Food Network:
• 12 ounces (about 3 cups) shredded cheese, preferably Monterey jack cheese or asadero, shredded
• 12 whole roasted large New Mexican green chiles, slit from end to end
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Vegetable oil or shortening for deep frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Green Chile Sauce, warmed
• 4 large poblano peppers
• 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded jack cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh corn (or frozen if unavailable)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Chile Relleno Tomato Sauce, for serving, recipe follows
• Chile Relleno Tomato Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• One 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, roughly chopped (juice included)
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from newmexico.org

Preparation

Step 1

With your fingers, stuff each chile with cheese, filling them well but not to overflowing

Preheat oven to 400

To prepare the batter, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Mix in the egg yolks, the ½ cup flour, and salt, beating only until combined. Note the batter should be lightly stiff and thick enough to coat the chiles.

Heat 4 inches of oil in a large heavy pan to 350° F. Place a baking rack over a few thicknesses of paper towels within easy reach of the stovetop

Pour 1 cup of flour out on a plate. Lay the first chile, seam-side up, in the flour to coat, using a spoon to cover it thoroughly.

Dunk the chile into the batter, seam-side up, and spoon more batter over it. When evenly coated, pull it from the batter by its stem and let any excess batter drip back into the bowl. No cheese should show—the batter should be thick enough to seal the chile's slit.

Slip the chile into the oil and repeat with the remaining chiles as you have room in the pan.

Fry the chiles for about 4 to 5 minutes, turning as needed to fry them until evenly golden and crisp. Drain the chiles on the baking rack.

Transfer the chiles to a heatproof platter or individual plates, then top with chile sauce and cheese. Pop in the oven for about 3 minutes, until the cheese on top has melted. Serve immediately.

Variation:
Preheat the broiler.

Place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil until the skin is blistered and charred, turning to cook on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to cool for at least 10 minutes. Once cool, remove the skin easily with your hands.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. In a small bowl, mix 2 egg yolks with 1 tablespoon flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. (Reserve 2 remaining yolks for another use.). Place the remaining flour on a small plate. Mix one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolks, and then gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the remaining egg whites just until incorporated. In a third bowl, mix together the cheese and corn.

Remove the seeds from the peppers by slicing them open along one side. Slice about two-thirds the length of the pepper, just long enough to remove the seeds with a small spoon. Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture, squeezing the cheese gently so that it stays together.

Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Gently roll the peppers in the flour. (If the cheese and peppers are too warm and are falling apart, place in the freezer for 10 minutes). Coat the peppers in the egg batter by dunking and spooning the batter all around. Lift the pepper, and gently spoon off any excess batter hanging from the bottom. Place in the hot oil and fry until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Serve with Chile Relleno Tomato Sauce.
Chile Relleno Tomato Sauce:

Add the olive oil to a medium saute pan over medium heat. Then add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, cayenne and garlic, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer. Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool a few minutes. Mix in the blender for 10 seconds (the sauce will not be smooth). Add the cilantro, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and pulse just to blend. Yield: 2 cups.