Chiles Rellenos are a Gift from the Goddess

Sunday dinner this week featured some of our precious tomatoes. I took some of the fresh tomato sauce and dressed it up with sauteed onions, garlic, and serrano chilies given to Keith from his brother-in-law Bruce. I added some Mexican dried oregano, cumin and cayenne, and voila! Mexican tomato sauce. It was great with chiles rellenos.

8 pasilla (or anaheim) chiles
2 lbs. shredded cheese, your choice
10 eggs
lots of canola oil for frying

First, you need to roast and peel the chiles. Scorch them on a gas flame, or broil 2" from element, turning until all sides are blackened.


Remove pan from oven, cover with a towel, parchment, or foil and allow to steam for at least 10 minutes.


Once the chilies have cooled, peel them very carefully, making sure to leave the stem intact. I found that not picking them up helps to achieve this. After peeling, carefully cut a small slit in one side and scrape out the seeds. If there's a couple seeds left in there, no worries. Don't dig to get them all out. You want the chile to keep its integrity, since you will be stuffing it and frying it.


Stuff each chili with the cheese, as full as you can make it with out it losing its shape. If the chile has broken, grasp the whole thing and squeeze together to make a seal. Set aside.

To prepare the batter, separate eggs and whip the whites to soft peaks. Whisk the yolks in a separate bowl until they begin to thicken. Fold the whites in until incorporated. Keep in refrigerator until it's time to fry.

Heat oil in a large pan to 350-375 degrees. I used a large electric skillet to help regulate the temperature. In batches, dip stuffed chiles in batter until coated. The coating should be about 1/4" thick. Fry until golden brown, turning as necessary. Remove to a pan lined in paper bags or paper towels, and keep in low oven (180 degrees) until all are done. Ladle tomato sauce onto a plate or platter, and lay chile rellenos on top, garnishing with more cheese, minced red onion, scallions, cilantro, or whatever suits your fancy. Make a lot, because they go fast!