So I figured my first real post would be a contribution to the community. I looked around the forum and a few rick bayless recipes, but this one wasn't on there and it's my favorite. It's a red sauce (or he has even called it a broth) that is very adaptable to any pepper of your choice and tastes delicious on almost anything. The recipe was originally intended for chili rellenos which I will also share.
Sauce: 4 ingredients: 1# tomatoes, 1/2 white onion, jalapeño *or other*, 1&3/4 cup broth. (skewer + salt too)
For the tomatoes, size doesn't matter but you wipe them with oil and broil them and take the skins off. It's about 2 large tomatoes or 4 medium ones. If only small cherries or whatnot are available, then I usually keep the skin on after broiling because it has mushed up so much. You can choose to either broil the pepper or torch it by hand until the skins are nice and charred. I'd say deseeding is optional and up to the individual, but the is the hot pepper forum so i say keep em in! Though for the general public, even a jalapeño can make it quite hot after the sauce is reduced. After you take the tomato skins off and have charred the pepper, stick it in a blender. I have a vitamix which turns everything into liquid, but less chunky is best. Afterward, cook up 1/2 a white onion in some oil for about 10 minutes, you want the onion to be at least translucent and starting to brown but not burnt. Next put the blended tomato and pepper into the pot and reduce down. Finally add in the broth and then reduce down. I then transfer it to the blender again and blend it up into a nice sauce. Just a fare warning, blending hot liquids too quickly can turn into a nice pressure bomb of steam and hot sauce. No bueno. So that's the sauce recipe. Now I have adapted it to different peppers and I personally love the flavor my yellow scotch bonnets add to it. For people who can't take the heat, I slice the pepper in half and take the seeds out to save then put each side on a skewer and torch them, but I actually prefer this pepper over the jalapeño.
Chile and batter: poblanos, filling choice, flour, eggs + (electric blender)
For the chile relleno, the shape of the poblano can make your life easy or difficult. Look for one that has less ridges. You want to broil them and remove the skins. some people like to torch them and then stick them in bags to steam. The latter gives you a more firm skin that isn't as easy to peal and the former gives a skin that peels easily, but the meat can be very brittle and tear easily. After you skinned it, try to make one slit and take the seeds out. It doesn't matter if the pepper has been mutilated really because the batter keeps it all together very well, but try to keep as much of its original form as possible. Stuff the pepper with whatever you want, classic cheese or even picodillo filling. You then put a skewer through the pepper to try to keep it in a solid form, but it's not always necessary. Some people freeze their peppers to keep it firm for frying, but you then have to stick it in the oven sometimes to finish heating the inside. I prefer everything fresh and ready to cook.
The batter is the coolest part, but you have tow work quick because it deflates. Heat up the oil getting to 350 and make the batter once it starts getting close. For the batter, whip 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until there are firm peaks, then add 2 egg yolks, 1 at a time and finally a tbs of all purpose flour. Some people dredge in egg and flour first but it's not necessary. Dip in the pepper into the foam and fry quickly. That recipe can do 5-6 peppers before deflating if you're good.
Finally, set on a rack to drain and then add the sauce and go to town! Enjoy, tell me what you think if you try it
not sure how to edit the topic, stupid spell check changed rellenos to relines 0.o
Sauce: 4 ingredients: 1# tomatoes, 1/2 white onion, jalapeño *or other*, 1&3/4 cup broth. (skewer + salt too)
For the tomatoes, size doesn't matter but you wipe them with oil and broil them and take the skins off. It's about 2 large tomatoes or 4 medium ones. If only small cherries or whatnot are available, then I usually keep the skin on after broiling because it has mushed up so much. You can choose to either broil the pepper or torch it by hand until the skins are nice and charred. I'd say deseeding is optional and up to the individual, but the is the hot pepper forum so i say keep em in! Though for the general public, even a jalapeño can make it quite hot after the sauce is reduced. After you take the tomato skins off and have charred the pepper, stick it in a blender. I have a vitamix which turns everything into liquid, but less chunky is best. Afterward, cook up 1/2 a white onion in some oil for about 10 minutes, you want the onion to be at least translucent and starting to brown but not burnt. Next put the blended tomato and pepper into the pot and reduce down. Finally add in the broth and then reduce down. I then transfer it to the blender again and blend it up into a nice sauce. Just a fare warning, blending hot liquids too quickly can turn into a nice pressure bomb of steam and hot sauce. No bueno. So that's the sauce recipe. Now I have adapted it to different peppers and I personally love the flavor my yellow scotch bonnets add to it. For people who can't take the heat, I slice the pepper in half and take the seeds out to save then put each side on a skewer and torch them, but I actually prefer this pepper over the jalapeño.
Chile and batter: poblanos, filling choice, flour, eggs + (electric blender)
For the chile relleno, the shape of the poblano can make your life easy or difficult. Look for one that has less ridges. You want to broil them and remove the skins. some people like to torch them and then stick them in bags to steam. The latter gives you a more firm skin that isn't as easy to peal and the former gives a skin that peels easily, but the meat can be very brittle and tear easily. After you skinned it, try to make one slit and take the seeds out. It doesn't matter if the pepper has been mutilated really because the batter keeps it all together very well, but try to keep as much of its original form as possible. Stuff the pepper with whatever you want, classic cheese or even picodillo filling. You then put a skewer through the pepper to try to keep it in a solid form, but it's not always necessary. Some people freeze their peppers to keep it firm for frying, but you then have to stick it in the oven sometimes to finish heating the inside. I prefer everything fresh and ready to cook.
The batter is the coolest part, but you have tow work quick because it deflates. Heat up the oil getting to 350 and make the batter once it starts getting close. For the batter, whip 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until there are firm peaks, then add 2 egg yolks, 1 at a time and finally a tbs of all purpose flour. Some people dredge in egg and flour first but it's not necessary. Dip in the pepper into the foam and fry quickly. That recipe can do 5-6 peppers before deflating if you're good.
Finally, set on a rack to drain and then add the sauce and go to town! Enjoy, tell me what you think if you try it
not sure how to edit the topic, stupid spell check changed rellenos to relines 0.o
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