If you grow our Hatch Chile, Poblano, or Anaheim Chile varieties, one of the best ways to enjoy them is in the form of a chile relleno!
A delicious serving suggestion is to plate your rellenos and then drizzle warm Ranchero Salsa over the top of them (see the recipe below). Rellenos are usually topped with red or green chile sauce, other additions include guacamole, sour cream, or salsa. There's no wrong way to enjoy them!
Here's an authentic recipe to make your own Chile Rellenos from scratch:
INGREDIENTS
CHILES RELLENOS:
- 12 large Hatch, Anaheim, or Poblano chiles, roasted and peeled
- 4 cups sliced melting cheese such as monterey jack, queso oaxaca, muenster, or asadero cheese
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 eggs, yolks separated
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2-3 cups canola oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
Roast and peel the chiles (we like to steam them in a glass pyrex dish to make it easier to peel the skins). Gently cut a slit in the bottom half of the chiles. If you want your chile rellenos milder, remove the stems and carefully pull out the seeds and membranes trying not to tear the chile. Fill with cheese.
Combine the flour, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper on a large plate, and gently place the chiles in the flour, coating all sides, and shake off any excess flour. Use a mixer at high speed to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the egg yolks into the whipped mixture.
Add canola oil to a large saucepan about a third of the way, and heat on medium-high heat - make sure to get the oil nice and hot, you can test the heat by dropping in a bit of the egg white mixture to see if it sizzles and floats to the top, which means the oil is hot enough and ready to fry the rellenos.
Dip the flour-coated chiles one at a time into the egg mixture until well coated, and then gently place the rellenos into the hot oil, about 2 at a time, and fry until golden brown, turning once. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat this process with the remaining rellenos, replacing the paper towels as needed to absorb the excess oil. Keep them warm in a covered dish. Serve on a plate and drizzle warm Ranchero Sauce on top.
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
RANCHERO SAUCE:
- 1 jalapeño
- 2 sweet banana peppers, or other yellow sweet peppers
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 3 small tomatoes,diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 bouillon cube (about 1 teaspoon)
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
RANCHERO SAUCE:
In a pot boil jalapeño and sweet peppers until soft, then remove stems and dice. In a saucepan, heat oil and sauté peppers, onion and celery for a few minutes. Next add garlic and tomatoes, and sauté for another few minutes. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes, then add water, salt, black pepper, and crushed bouillon, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
