I made this staple of Mexican cuisine with rehydrated dark-red Ancho chilis (from Penzey's). When Ancho is fresh and green, it is called Poblano, and that is the variety typically used in Chile Relleno (literally, "stuffed chile"). We actually liked the extra sweetness that the darker Ancho imparted, but I expect that fresh peppers would be easier to stuff.
Chile Relleno
If starting with fresh peppers, roast them until the skins blister and peel them off. Open each pepper on one side and remove the seeds; roll in the mixture of flour and salt; stuff with cheese. Make the batter by beating egg whites until they form a mousse, then work 2 tsp of flower and the egg yolks into the mix. After dipping a chile in the batter, deep fry it for a few minutes on each side. (Be sure to use oil with a high "smoke point", like safflower, sunflower, or soybean oil, and ideally keep it at 365F/185C.)
- fresh or rehydrated chilies
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- white cheese, Jack or Mozarella, shredded
- 4 eggs, separated
- oil
Mexican Rice
You can use either a large straight-sided sauté pan or a Dutch oven, as long as they are oven safe and have a tight-fitting lid. Preheat the oven to 350F. Purée tomatoes and onions in a blender or food processor and set aside. Seed 3 jalapeños, mince them, and set aside. Strain rice under cold water for a minute and press out all excess liquid.
Heat oil in your pan and fry the rice, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add garlic and jalapeños, after a while add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 miuntes, stirring once in the middle.
- 2 tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 jalapeño chiles
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 tsp salt
Grilled Jalapeño Salsa
This salsa works surprisingly well with the rice above. If possible, grill the tomato halves and the chiles after dipping them into oil with garlic pieces in it. Lacking a grill, we fried them with oil and garlic for a few minutes, making sure to stir the skillet frequently to avoid charring. Once they are cool, dice the tomatoes, seed and mince the chiles, chop the green onions, and combine the lot with the rest of the ingredients. Let stand in the refridgerator at least 1 hour.
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 "plum" tomatoes, halved
- 10 jalapeño chiles, stems removed
- 8 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice (~2 limes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped