Chiles Rellenos

There are several ways to peel a chile pepper: (1) place it about six inches beneath the broiler on a baking sheet, (2) place on an outdoor grill or (3) place on top of a gas stove (my method — though be sure to have ventilation ‘cuz it can get a bit smoky). Any way you choose, use tongs to turn the chile peppers as they darken. The idea is to burn as much of the peel/skin as possible. Keep a close eye on the chiles as they may go from blistered to burnt very quickly.

Once the skin is fully charred, place the hot chiles into a Ziploc bag and seal. Set aside for several minutes. The steam within the bag will help with removal of the skin.

Once the chiles are cool enough to touch, carefully make one slit up the side of each chile, keeping the stem intact. Gently remove the skin, seeds and membranes from the peppers. Gently stuff each chile with a combination of grated cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese until you’re just able to close at the slit comfortably. If the chile is refusing to stay together, you can try using a toothpick, but I found it unnecessary.

Whip the egg whites by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff. Set aside.

Combine milk, 1/2 cup flour, egg yolks, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a deep large bowl. Gently fold in the egg whites until just mixed.

Pour equal amounts olive oil and vegetable/canola oil to reach 1/4-inch depth in a large, deep skillet. Heat oil over medium-high heat.

In a shallow bowl, spread out 1/4 cup flour. Roll each stuffed chile in the flour and gently shake off all excess flour. Dip chile into batter, holding the chile by its stem. Cover the chile as much as possible with the batter up to the stem, but leave the stem uncovered. The stem will be your holding/flipping device. Quickly transfer to hot skillet. Cook each chile until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels until ready to serve. Serve quickly if possible, and with some chile relleno sauce (see below for recipe instructions).

For the sauce:

Heat oil in medium-large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until sweating, about 5-8 minutes. Add kosher salt, pepper and garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add flour, tomatoes and oregano and cook until thickened, about 5-8 minutes.

Add stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil, cooking for about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Using a stick blender, blender or food processor, puree the sauce until smooth. Serve with chiles rellenos.

Enjoy!