Chile Relleno with Roja Sauce. I went many years without attempting to make my own Chile Rellenos, and I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make and how tasty they were!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- For the Pablano Peppers
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place poblano peppers on top. Set your oven rack on the highest rack, and broil the poblanos for 5 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and blistered.Flip them over and broil for another 5 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and blistered. All sides should be blackened.Remove from the oven and put into a large bowl covered with cling wrap for five minutes.
- Starting with the bottom of the peppers peel as much of the loose skin on the peppers as possible. If it is sufficiently blackened it will come off easily.
- Cut a slit down the middle of the peppers. Stuff the peppers with the cheese. The peppers may be soft because of the roasting process and may tear , so use the toothpicks as needed.
- Heat the oil in the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.While oil is heating up, prepare the batter.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks into two separate bowls - the whites into a large mixing bowl and the yolks into a small bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.While continuing to beat the egg whites on low, add in the egg yolks one at a time until all of them are fully mixed in. The batter should be light, fluffy and smooth.
- Place the flour and salt together into a shallow bowl.
- Dip the chile relleno into the egg mixture, then dip into the flour so it is completely covered. shake off the excess flour, dip back into the egg mixture and carefully place into the hot oil.
- Fry the peppers for 3-5 minutes per side, until the batter is golden brown and crispy. Try not to overcrowd the peppers in the pan - Fry 2 at a time depending on the size of the pan.
- Transfer the peppers to paper towels to drain off any excess oil.
- For the salsa roja
- Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro and salt to a blender. Puree until smooth. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add blended salsa and bring to a boil.Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, taste and season with more salt if desired.
- Add the roja sauce to a plate and place the chile relleno on top. Serve with freshly chopped cilantro and some cotija cheese. Refried beans an rice are perfect sides. Don't forget to remove the toothpicks when you first cut into the peppers!
Note: You can make many variations from this recipe. The filling can be changed to different cheeses, or meats such as chorizo, seasoned ground beef or anything you might like. These also reheat perfectly in an air fryer.
Atmosphere
This dish is perfect for a little Gloria Estefan and some Sangria to quench you thirst.
