Chiles Rellenos Nortenos

Photo: Laurie smith www.lauriesmithphotos.com

When people in the United States think of chiles rellenos this is the version they are thinking of.  Most people don’t realize  that chile relleno simply means a stuffed chile and that it can easily be a dried rehydrated ancho chile or chipotle, or, a fresh variety like poblano or jalapeṅo.

At my restaurant  Zarela we had a chile relleno of the day. The fillings were varied and included things like ceviche, shrimp or chicharron salad and pork, chicken or beef picadillo to name a few and were served with different sauces.  Some would be baked, other grilled and the ones with a cold salad would simply be roasted or fried and peeled and always came with a zingy sauce.

Batter-frying is lamprear in Spanish and you can watch my video demonstrating the technique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fW_EnSyVzc.

6 fresh Anaheim chiles

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

1/2-pound white cheddar, Chihuahua or Monterrey Jack cheese

! cup flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pour vegetable oil into large heavy skillet to a depth of about l/2 inch and heat until very hot but not quite smoking. Make a small (about l- to l  l/1-inch) lengthwise slit in each chile. Fry on both sides, 3 at a time, until beige-colored and puffed; remove as they are done and drain on paper towels. Peel chiles and gently remove the seeds through the incision, being careful not to tear the flesh. Set aside.

Pat dry with paper towels and insert an 1/6-inch thick  by 3-inch slice of white cheddar, Chihuahua or  Monterrey Jack cheese.

Combine 1 cup of flour with salt and roll the chiles to coat lightly.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat in a 2-inch deep pan.(watch the video link above)

Separate the whites from the yolks (reserving the yolks) and beat the whites until stiff but not dry.

Dip each chile in the egg mixture and fry two at a time.  Transfer to a pan lined with pap eels and serve with salsa ranchera.