Chiles Rellenos With Salsa Frita
 
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Salsa frita:
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 cups fresh tomato chunks
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
  • Salt to taste
chiles rellenos:
  • 4 New Mexico Hatch green chiles or Anaheim chiles
  • 2 cups shredded cheese, such as Monterey Jack
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups Japanese breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
salsa frita:
  1. In a deep saucepan over high heat, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering and very hot. Add the tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, being careful of spattering oil. Reduce heat and cook on medium-high until the tomatoes and peppers are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste, cool slightly, and puree tomatoes and jalapeno peppers in a food processor or blender. Hold at room temperature.
To make the Hatch chiles rellenos
    To roast Hatch chile peppers:
    1. Over a gas burner flame, under a broiler or in a 450-degree oven, roast the chile peppers, turning until the skins are blistered and blackened on all sides.
    2. Enclose chile peppers in a large paper or plastic bag for 20 minutes to steam and loosen skins.
    3. When cool, remove skins by rubbing each chile pepper with a sheet of paper towel.
    To stuff and coat chile peppers:
    1. Starting at the stem, open each chile pepper with a single lengthwise slit, leaving tip intact.
    2. Remove seeds, but leave stem on.
    3. Stuff each chile pepper with up to ½ cup of shredded cheese, leaving enough room to close the slit around the cheese.
    4. Place Hatch chile peppers on a large plate or platter and refrigerate 30 minutes.
    5. In a large bowl, whisk flour, water and salt to make a thick batter.
    6. On a large cookie sheet, arrange breadcrumbs in a thick layer.
    7. Grasping the stem, dip each chile pepper into batter, covering well and allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl.
    8. Roll each batter-coated chile pepper in breadcrumbs, patting firmly to cover all sides.
    9. Repeat batter and breadcrumbs process for all four chile peppers.
    10. Return chile peppers to plate or platter and refrigerate 20 minutes to set crust.
    To fry chile peppers:
    1. In a large, deep frying pan, add vegetable oil to a depth of at least ½ inch. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Add chile peppers in batches, turning with tongs until golden brown on all sides.
    2. Remove chile peppers from oil with tongs and drain on wire rack or paper towels.
    3. Repeat frying process to make four chiles rellenos.
    To serve:
    1. Divide salsa frita among four plates and top each plate with a fried chile relleno.
    Recipe by Cooks and Kid at https://cooksandkid.com/chiles-rellenos-with-salsa-frita/