Most often than not my Latino heritage ends sneaking out in my cooking. Very frequently I use ingredients that remind me of home. This time was not any different.
A “Chile Relleno” means stuffed pepper en Español. Traditionally this dish is made with Poblano or Anaheim (California) peppers and stuffed with either ground beef, cheese or a vegetable mix. I won’t even go into detailing the rest of the prep for traditional Chiles Rellenos because is lengthy and somewhat complicated (plus, that’s another post that will be coming up soon)
This version is more like an open-faced relleno and it is extremely easy to make. The hardest part might be roasting the Poblanos, but the rest of the process just involves slicing the peppers, chopping tomatoes and cracking eggs.
Rule No. 1: When buying Poblanos, make sure they are of good size and even shape. If you select crocked or twisted peppers you will have a hard time roasting, peeling and stuffing them
Rule No. 2: Do not skip the roasting and peeling part. Poblanos have a thicker skin than most peppers and for this recipe it needs to be removed beforehand
Roasting the peppers is something that you want to do yourself. I know there are places where you can buy already roasted peppers but the problem is that those places not only roast them and peel them for you, which is convenient for other recipes, but they also cook the peppers so they are soft and ready to use, just not on this dish.
We want the peppers to have some crunch and hold their structure because we will be “open stuffing” them and need the eggs to stay in place as we bake them.
This dish is very versatile as it can be great for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner. Give it a try and let us know what you think by commenting below!
- 4 Poblano Peppers
- 1 Tomato
- 1 Shallot
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro
- ½ cup Mozzarella
- 8 Eggs
- Roast the peppers. If you have a gas range or grill, place the peppers directly on open flame and roast, turning occasionally with tongs, until blackened and blistered on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Alternatively, deep fry the peppers for about 3 minutes or until skin is blistered. If you deep fry the peppers make sure to use an oil splatter screen. Roasting the peppers under the broiler is not recommended for this recipe as the peppers will soften using this method
- Let the Poblanos cool enough to handle
- Using the side of a spoon, scrape away and discard the skins, being careful not to tear the peppers
- Pre-heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
- In the meantime prepare the Pico de Gallo. Dice the tomatoes and shallots. Mince the cilantro. Mix to combine and set aside
- Slice the peppers by the middle and remove seeds. Season with salt and pepper
- Spray some cooking oil on a roasting pan or cookie sheet and arrange the peppers cut side up
- Sprinkle some cheese in the pepper cavity. This will help the Poblanos preserve their structure and keep the egg inside the pepper during the baking process
- Crack one egg into each Poblano half and season with salt and pepper
- Cook for about 12 to 14 minutes. Check the doneness of the eggs at minute 10 and every minute after that to avoid overcooking
- Serve warm and top with the Pico de Gallo
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