Chile Relleno

Chile Relleno

The chile relleno, a fried pepper stuffed with cheese, has long been a guilty pleasure of mine. It is a standard item on the menu of most Mexican restaurants; however, I am always dissatisfied when I order it. The problems with your average chile relleno are that it gushes with cheese that overwhelms the delicate flavor of the pepper and is caked with a greasy omelette-like egg coating. In my recipe, I reduce the cheese and lighten up the coating by whipping the egg whites.

Ingredients:

4 Anaheim or Poblano Peppers

1 cup grated jack cheese

1 egg, separated

1 onion, diced

1 can Enchilada sauce

Oil for deep frying

Directions

Place the peppers under a broiler until the skin turns black and cracks. Remove from broiler and cover with a towel for 5 minutes. Slide the skins off the peppers and cut a small slit to remove seeds. Meanwhile, mix the cheese with ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce and onion. Stuff the peppers with cheese onion mixture. Whip the egg whites until stiff and then mix in egg yolk. Heat oil to 375 degrees F. Dip peppers in egg mixture and fry until golden brown. Top with heated enchilada sauce and serve immediately.

Photography by Alice Gao