Chile Relleno Step-by-Step

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...

A case of mistaken identity

One of the most important ingredients used in Venezuelan cuisine is the "ají dulce" (literally, 'sweet pepper')...it really adds flavor to soups and sauces. So I was pretty excited to find some at the store yesterday. I began chopping them for a chicken dish, but thought I'd try them to see if they were hot or not. I took a bite and wham! Yeah, they were hot! I didn't think it would be that bad, though, so I chopped just a little bit and added them to the chicken. I cooked some rice and then served supper. Immediately, the kids began reacting to the food with complaints of how spicy it was! I served ice water and encouraged them to "do their best". But as Miguel and I continued to eat, we realized the food WAS pretty spicy and the more we ate, the spicier it got! So Gracia and Jojo both got to eat some rice-and-milk-and-sugar instead. Jkaile was happy with plain rice. Micah persevered, but had to drink a lot of water and could only eat the chicken, not the sauce...Miguel finally asked me, were those habanero chilies? I said, "NO!" But that got me thinking...finally I went and looked at the receipt and sure enough, I had mistaken habanero chilies for 'ají dulce'!!!!! Habaneros are pretty much the spiciest peppers around and here I was serving them to my kids! Oh goody, what a Mom!

Habanero chilies

Ají dulce

You will notice that they are about the same size and shape...and colors as well! The Habanero peppers shown are yellow, but can be green, orange, and red...