These, could be, arguably, my favorite Mexican dish. Its probably one of my dad’s favorite dishes to make, and I think he’s passed that enthusiasm to me. He even decided to make it last year for Father’s day instead of going out, and I was happy about it too.
We consider it a lucky thing to get a spicy one, meaning a chile that makes your nose run, because sometimes the chiles are really lackluster in spice and disappoint. The point of filling it with cheese is so that you can dance back and forth from hot and spicy to cheesy!- so without a spicy chile, you don’t get the full experience. There is only one thing, the spicy ones can be intoxicating, and when roasting them, you’ll know if they’ll be spicy because you will be coughing. What would life be without somethings a little intoxicating, a little numbing, only to bring us back to our senses!
For 5
For chiles:
- 5 Poblano chiles
- 3 eggs for good measure, separated
- Almost 1 cup flour
- about 1 cup mozzarella or jack cheese (slices better than shredded)
- Toothpicks
- Couple tablespoons of vegetable oil
For Salsa:
- 5 tomatoes
- ¼ or almost half of an onion
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2 chicken bouillon (or replace with chicken stock)
- ½-1 c water (less is better)
1. Roast the Poblano chiles over an open fire, turn every few seconds so they mostly blacken. When roasted, place in plastic bag and let sweat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
2. Then peel chiles. Work over slow running water to remove skin easier. Once cleaned, slice a small slit and try to remove most of the seeds. Remove seeds but keep the veins in the chile if you like a little heat. This is a good time to wear gloves to prevent your fingers from burning afterward. Its important to keep the chiles in tact, and keep the stems on.
3. Then, slice mozzarella into small pieces to fit into the chiles. Fill up as much as you can, then use one or two toothpicks to close the chile. Set aside the chiles to whip the eggs.
4. Use a hand mixer for this stage otherwise be ready to sweat- for real. Crack 2-3 egg whites in a bowl, use three eggs if they are smaller. Whip until stiff peaks form. Then, add in the egg yolks and whip briefly until it is not runny at all and holds it form. Test it by putting the whip or a spoon in and bringing it up it should not drip.
5. Then, get a small shallow pan to put the flour in. Put the chile in the flour and coat the chile. After coated, put in the egg mixture. Get the oil hot in a large pan (one that will fit all chiles, and has a lid when you add the salsa), fry the chiles, put about 3 in the pan at a time don’t over crowd. Fry until all sides are golden brown. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel, to gather excess oil. Set the pan off the heat to cool slightly. Prepare the salsa in the meantime.
6. Make the salsa by adding all the remaining ingredients (no need to be chopped) into a blender. Blend with a little water if using chicken bouillon. Wipe out the pan with paper towels being careful not to burn- just to remove any black bits, a little oil is ok. When blended mixture is smooth and fragrant of onion and garlic, add into frying pan. Add about a cup of water. Turn heat up to high and wait until salsa boils, then gently lay all the chiles into the pan, overlapping is ok. Then, cover the pan wth a lid, and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until there the salsa is thickened enough to serve on a plate- not bowl. Add more water, if the salsa is too thick and has reduced too much.
7. When they are ready, remember to REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS. Serve chile on plate with rice, beans, and slice of avocado-in case its too spicy eat the avocado. Don’t forget tortillas. Add the salsa on top of the chile. AND BE CAREFUL not too burn your tongue on the hot cheese enclosed in the chile, BLOW.
