chile relleno

Isabel Orozco-Moore’s chile relleno broils poblano peppers, fills them with Monterey Jack and fries them in a light egg coating. Her selected canola oil and optional tomato salsa accompany the cheese-filled peppers; the source identifies the dish as Mexican.

A large baking sheet is lined with aluminium foil, and the poblanos are placed on it beneath the broiler. They broil for about five minutes on each side until blistered and blackened. The selected loose foil cover holds heat while the peppers stand for five minutes. Loose skin is rubbed and peeled away, and a knife cuts a slit down each pepper; the selected route retains the seeds. The cheese is cut into strips, stuffed into the peppers and enclosed with one to three toothpicks.

Canola oil heats over medium-high heat in the selected large saucepan, while a separate baking sheet is lined with paper towels. The three eggs are separated into whites in a large mixing bowl and yolks in a small bowl. An electric hand mixer beats the whites to stiff peaks. With the mixer on low, the yolks are added one at a time until the batter is light, fluffy and yellow.

All-purpose flour and fine salt are mixed in the selected shallow plate. Each stuffed pepper is rolled in this mixture, tapped to remove excess, dipped in the egg batter and gently placed into the oil. The peppers fry for three to five minutes per side until golden and crisp, in batches that leave space in the pan. They transfer to the paper-lined sheet to drain excess oil.

For the selected optional salsa, supplied quartered Roma tomatoes, halved white onion, garlic, cilantro, kosher salt and optional prepared jalapeño are blended smooth. Olive oil heats in a small saucepan, the puree comes to the boil and then simmers over low heat for eight minutes with occasional stirring. It is tasted and salted further if desired. The peppers are served immediately on plates with some salsa, supplied freshly chopped cilantro and cotija cheese; the toothpicks are removed before eating.