Chile Relleno Recipe

Make your own mole plate

1. 1

   Roast and peel the poblanos

   Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) or heat a grill. Roast four poblano peppers, turning until the skins are blackened and blistered on all sides. Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover with a towel, and let steam 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skin, deseed, and set aside.

2. 2

   Stuff peppers with queso fresco

   Pat peppers dry. Slit each pepper lengthwise, open gently, and stuff with roughly 56 g (2 oz) of queso fresco per pepper. Close peppers and secure with a toothpick if needed.

3. 3

   Prepare the batter

   In a bowl, separate eggs. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. In a second bowl, whisk yolks with 0.5 cup flour, 0.25 cup milk, and 0.5 tsp salt until smooth. Fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture to form a light batter.

4. 4

   Make the mole paste

   In a dry skillet, toast ancho, pasilla, and mulato chiles until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 15–20 minutes until softened. Drain. In a blender, combine the rehydrated chiles, chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, and torn tortillas. Add sesame seeds and almonds, plus cinnamon, cloves, and cumin. Blend until smooth, adding a little soaking liquid as needed. Transfer to a skillet with 1 cup vegetable broth and simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Mexican chocolate until melted and smooth. Season with salt to taste.

5. 5

   Fry the stuffed peppers

   Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350°F (175°C). Dip each stuffed pepper into the batter, letting excess drip off, then fry until golden and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a rack to drain.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Warm the mole sauce. Nestle the fried peppers into the sauce, spooning extra sauce over them to coat. Simmer briefly to meld flavors. Plate with additional sauce, and garnish with cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve with warm tortillas or rice on the side.