Chile Rellenos - Easy Peasy

 I have a special love for all things egg white - meringue, angel food cake, souffle, cotton candy.  (Just making sure you are paying attention.  No, cotton candy is not made of egg whites)  Since I was a wee kid, whipped egg white concoctions enchanted me - fluffy and crunchy texture all in one bite, airy volume compressing to practically nothing,  hell, even a good foam on a cappucino can send me into a special kind of bliss.   There is something about fluffy slightly crunchy goodness that all things egg white have in common, the pillowey, light as air mouthfeel that puts me over the moon.  I've been known to lick a bowl of uncooked meringue clean (pooey on the raw egg fear).  When I came home from school to trays of meringue cookies on the counter, my mother had to physically hold me back.  Angel food cake is my all time favorite.   So when my friend and I decided to get together to make dinner and she said, "how about chile rellenos?" I jumped at the opportunity.  

I had made chile rellenos once, a long time ago, and remembered fumbling with them and the result turning out not so stellar.  But that was 25 years ago, that's 25 years of cooking and catering experience ago, 25 years of confidence ago and 25 years of eating ago.  When I arrived at her house with the requisite monterey jack cheese (I used the preshredded kind for easy melting), she pulled out her CSA box of perfect poblano chiles and a rather long looking recipe that was listed in steps.  

After reviewing the recipe,  which was much too long for it's own good (wordy),  I got to work.  These are so easy, you will be wondering why they haven't been making regular appearances on your taco night rotation.

INGREDIENTS

8  Fresh Poblano peppers (figure 1-2 per person) - stems and seeds intact, roasted and skinned

4 large eggs, left out at room temperature

flour for dredging

a few pinches of salt 

1 bag shredded monterey jack cheese

3 cups high smoke point oil (avocado or the like)

1)  Prepare whole chiles by broiling until charred.  Turn them often. Tent for a few minutes.  Remove the skin - taking care to keep the integrity of the chile intact, including the stem and seeds.  Be careful not to overcook, as your chilies will fall apart and be hard to handle. You want that stem intact to help you maneuver them in and out of the batter and hot oil.

2) Make a slit lengthwise down the center of the chile taking care not to reach the tip, as you want a pocket, not a flap.  Stuff with shredded cheese - about 1/3 cup per chile depending on size.  Don't bother measuring the cheese, just fill the chiles up.  Secure the flap closed with a toothpick or metal skewer perpendicular to the slit (i like the metal turkey lacers, as they stick beyond the chile and can be easily removed after frying).  Set the stuffed chilies aside.

3) Separate egg whites from yolks.  With an electric beater, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Put beater on low and add in egg yolks, one at a time.  (don't overwhip, you will lose the loft).  Room temperature eggs whip up much more nicely than straight from the fridge.  If you forget this step don't worry - just go for it!

4) In a shallow dish, combine flour (or gluten free flour) with a pinches of salt. 

The following steps should be done when you are ready to eat, as this part will go super fast.

5) Heat 1-2" of oil in a large skillet to medium high  (you will be flipping the chiles, not submerging them).

6) When oil is ready, dredge chiles in the flour, then, using the stem as a handle,  gently dip them into the egg white mixture, spooning more mixture on the outside to coat evenly (about 1/4" coating all the way around).  Immediately place gently into the hot oil. (repeat with 2 more chilies - don't overcrowd).

7)  Gently flip the chilies, when the bottom side is nicely browned.  A pair of tongs on the stem makes for an easy flip.

8) When both sides are brown, remove from oil and place on a cooling rack.  Repeat with the rest of the chilies.

9) Serve immediately with your favorite ranchero sauce or salsa, rice, beans and salad.  

Okay, that was 9 steps.  Maybe I'm a bit wordy too!