Chiles Rellenos
Instructions:
- The classic Mexican stuffed chile: The crisp coating is
light, the chiles soft and yielding, and the cheese oozing.
If time is an issue, make the chiles through Step 1, cover,
and refrigerate until ready to batter and cook.
For a lighter, smokier twist, you can forgo the roasting
and battering and grill the stuffed chiles. The papery skin
blisters a bit and can either be eaten or removed. Here’s
how: Cut a slit in one side of each chile, remove the
seeds, and stuff. Brush with extra virgin olive oil and grill
or pan-grill the chiles, turning once or twice, until the
skins are blistered and the flesh is tender.
- 4 large or 8 small poblano or other mild green fresh chiles
- 3 cups grated or shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese
- Neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, for deep-frying
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup beer or water
- Green Enchilada Salsa
or Salsa Borracha
- Crumbled queso fresco for garnish
- Roast the chiles ; peel the skins but leave the stems on. Cut a slit in one side and remove the seeds. Stuff the chiles with the cheese and use toothpicks or a long bamboo skewer to “sew” them shut; set aside.
- Put the oil in a large, deep saucepan to a depth of at least 3 inches (more is better); the narrower the saucepan, the less oil you need, but the more oil you use, the more chiles you can cook at the same time. Turn the heat to medium-high and heat the oil to about 365 F (a pinch of the batter will sizzle immediately).
- Whip the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and beer together in a medium bowl. It should be the consistency of thin pancake batter; adjust the consistency with more flour or beer as necessary. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter; some white streaks remaining are okay.
- Dip the stuffed chiles into the batter to coat and immediately fry until crisp and golden brown. Use the long skewers to help rotate and remove the chiles or use a spatula; drain on paper towels. Remove the picks or skewers and serve immediately with the salsa, sprinkled with the queso fresco.