I tried my hand at making
Chile Relleno (literally 'stuffed chili') this week before Delia left so that she could say she had tried it. They turned out really yummy according to all who tried them, so I'm counting them a success! :D Although as I read through the recipe I later found in a book, there were a couple of things I didn't do 'right'. As with any recipe, though, I'm sure there are variations in the methods of preparing chile relleno...
The chilis used for chile relleno in this region are the
california chili or 'chilaca', although I've heard
that the poblano chili works as well.
First thing to do is toast the chili over the gas flame until
the skin begins to separate from the 'meat' of the chili.
Parts of the chili will turn a bit black, that's okay.
The flame should be low to medium high...too
high and they might catch on fire like one of mine did...
Once you remove the chili from the fire, place it in a plastic
bag for a few minutes, then take it out and
remove the skin. The skin should come off
relatively easily if it has been toasted long enough.
Cut a slit in the side of the chili and remove as many
of the seeds as you can. Chilacas are not very spicy,
but sometimes the seeds can be.
Stuff the chili with a strip of cheese...other fillings
can be used as well, such as ham and cheese,
tuna, etc. I used a toothpick to close the opening in the
chili, but I don't think you would have to.
Lightly salt and pepper the chili before
coating it with some flour.
I used the whole egg this time, but it would probably
work better to use just the egg whites since they whip
up better. But anyway, beat the eggs or egg whites
until they are frothy.
Dip the chili in the egg right before frying.
It is best to use a shallow bowl for this.
Fry the chili in hot oil (coconut oil would be awesome
for this recipe) until golden brown.
It won't take long, mine were done in a jiffy!
Set the
chili relleno on a napkin or paper towel
to soak up some of the oil and then
enjoy!
JD had two! I think he liked them...
