Food and Friendship

Santa Barbara

chili rellenos for a happy birthday

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To be honest, I’m not a fan of spicy peppers and really don’t know my poblanos from my Anaheims.  However, my husband’s favorite dish is chili rellenos and for his birthday, that’s the dinner he requested – not a casserole, but the chilis themselves with no red enchilada sauce in sight, just the breaded peppers.  So I went to a source I trusted, our dear Graciela, who is a great cook and knows exactly how to make these.  When I asked her for a recipe, she graciously volunteered to make them herself as a gift to Steve, and so she did.  And they were delicious!  But I still didn’t have a recipe because I think Graciela, like most natural cooks, cooks intuitively.  Having no intuition in this matter, but determined to give it a try after spying some beautiful peppers at the farmers market, I did some research, and I think Graciela would be proud of my results!  I followed my rule of thumb to add more of whatever is called for — in this case, cheese — and along the way I found the secret to great chili rellenos: separate the eggs and whip those egg whites!  The frothy mix hugs the peppers beautifully and the silky yellow coating holds the flour during the quick frying to give you a dish that is perhaps not so photogenic, but quite amazingly delicious.  The reviews from the post-birthday boy were raves  – he didn’t even want salsa on top.  I’m going to try it again soon so I can hopefully get a better picture and not one that looks like what Ina Garten would call “a dog’s breakfast!”  Maybe I should add nasturtiums and a blurry background?

Here’s a better picture, courtesy of the internet!

And here’s how I did it.  Don’t be intimidated — it’s basically 4 steps: roast, stuff, coat, fry.

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chili rellenos
 
Use whatever cheese you like -- the authentic recipe calls for queso asadero (a white Mexican cheese), but I used a sharp white cheddar. You'll need a metal bowl to whip the egg whites, another large bowl for the egg yolks, a flat plate for the flour, and a skillet. That's pretty much it. Doesn't take long to make if you have everything at hand when you start.
Ingredients
  • 6 poblano or Anaheim peppers -- choose nice long green ones
  • 8 ounces white sharp cheddar (or any other flavorful) cheese, either grated or in strips
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup flour
  • 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
  • Salsa (optional, for topping)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your broiler to high, or your oven to 450F degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange your peppers in a single layer.
  3. Put the baking sheet into the broiler (or oven) for five minutes, about 6 inches from the heat source.
  4. After five minutes, if peppers have blackened and blistered, carefully, using long tongs, flip them over for another five minutes so the other side chars also.
  5. When blackened nicely, carefully remove them from the oven and put the peppers into a plastic bag and tightly close it; this will allow the peppers to steam. Leave them in there for about 15 minutes.
  6. Remove the peppers from the plastic bag and when cool enough to touch, rinse under cool water, then peel the skins -- they should slide right off. Pat dry with paper towels.
  7. With a sharp knife, make a slit down the length of each pepper.
  8. If you want it mild, remove the membrane and seeds at this point; if you want more heat, omit this step.
  9. Stuff each pepper with the cheese.
  10. Separate the eggs, putting the whites into an electric mixer bowl and the yolks into another large bowl.
  11. Whisk the egg yolks with the baking powder.
  12. Whip the egg whites in the metal bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
  13. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/baking powder mixture and combine well.
  14. Place flour into a shallow bowl.
  15. Warm vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  16. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour, shaking off excess, then dipping into the egg mixture to completely coat the pepper.
  17. Carefully lay the coated peppers into the hot oil and fry until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted.
  18. Serve with salsa if desired.

 

Comments

  1. I wonder if they could be stuffed and breaded ahead of time, like cutlets, refrigerated and then fried at the time you want them. Have you every tried that?

    thanx! xop

    • I haven’t tried that, but in my “research” I came across the fact that yes, it can be done that way as long as it’s not refrigerated too long — otherwise the breading may get soggy.

  2. Chili Rellenos are my absolute favorite Mexican dish.
    Up until now, I have shied away from making them and
    only made chili relleno casseroles .
    Your recipe has caught my attention and i will give it a try.
    Thank you FF!
    Jeri