I’d never eaten Chiles Rellenos before, but I’m in love. This recipe is originally from Cajun Chef Ryan.
Chiles Rellenos
Ingredients:
8 whole fresh Anaheim or Poblano chilies or whole canned green chilies
8 Ounces Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces cut for stuffing and 4 ounces shredded)
Batter:
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Chef Ryan includes a recipe for salsa verde on his site. However, I just purchased a jar of salsa verde.
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
For fresh chillies, remove stem and seeds. Use a paring knife cut a circle around the top stem area of the pepper and then twist off the stem cap. Then carefully remove any excess seeds that are inside the pepper. I ran them carefully under water to help remove the final seeds.
Simmer cleaned chillies in water with a little salt for about 30-40 minutes or until peppers are soft. Drain them and allow to cool completely. Chillies are delicate and easy to break. I prepared the chillies the night before I made the rest of the dish. If using canned chillies, there’s no need to boil.
With half of the jack cheese, cut 16 finger length sections (approx. 1/2″ X 3″ each) and gently insert two pieces into each of the 8 chilies. Chilies are fragile so be careful when doing this.
Take the remaining half of the Jack cheese and shred it for later use.
In a small bowl, blend the egg yolk, milk, flour, salt, and olive oil until smooth. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes, then blend again for a few more seconds.
In the meantime in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry to a soft peak stage.
With the peppers stuffed and the sauce ready, it’s time to assemble the casserole. Coat the baking dish with a generous amount of butter or non-stick spray. Dredge the stuffed chilies with flour and lay them in the pan.
Whip the egg whites again, just a bit to ensure that they are still stiff, and then fold them into the batter.
Pour the batter evenly over the top of the chilies.
Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the batter is set and browned.
Remove from the oven and turn on the broiler. Sprinkle the remaining shredded jack cheese evenly on the top of the casserole. I added cheddar to the mix.
Place the baking dish under the broiler for a few minutes to melt and brown the cheese. Remove from the broiler. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
Top servings with salsa verde.
