Chile Relleno

Prepare the sauce:

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp chile pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat, then add the onions and a bit of salt.  Soften the onions, stirring often, about 6 minutes.  Don’t brown.  Add the garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add 8 ounces tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chile rellenos are done.

Chile Rellenos

Poblano peppers

Monterey Jack cheese

Flour

Salt

3 eggs

Vegetable oil

Cut a small (1 inch) horizontal slit at the top of the pepper right beneath the stem.  Don’t cut through, you want the stem to help hold the pepper together.  Roast the peppers until charred, and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam and make it easy to peel.

When ready to prepare the peppers for frying, remove some of the seeds if you like, but again be careful to leave the cap at the top under the stem intact so it holds the pepper together.  Cut 1/4 inch thick slices of Monterey Jack cheese and fit one layer inside the poblanos.  Trim the cheese to fit as needed.  Don’t overstuff or you won’t be able to close the pepper.  Secure the edges of the pepper together with toothpicks.

Pour vegetable oil into a large sauté pan to depth of about 1/2 inch, and start heating to 375 Fahrenheit.

Separate the eggs. Place the egg yolks in one bowl, and whisk until yellow and frothy.  Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, and gently fold in the egg yolks.  Have two pie plates ready.  In one, place some flour and season with salt.  Place the batter in the other pie plate.

Gently place the peppers one by one in the flour, and dust the flour over the top.  Shake it gently so there is just a thin layer, then place in the batter.  Spoon batter over the top if needed.

Use a fish spatula to lift from the batter and put into the oil once it is at 375.  Let them fry 3-4 minutes, checking by lifting with a spatula to make sure they aren’t getting too brown. 

Turn and fry 3-4 minutes more.  I placed them on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet.  Others drain on paper towels, but they really were not oily and I didn’t have to worry about paper towel sticking to them.

Spoon the red sauce into the middle of a plate, and create a circle.  Place the chile relleno on the sauce.