Stuffed Ancho Chilies Recipes

STUFFED ANCHO CHILES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except ancho peppers.
• Make small lengthwise cut in side of each ancho pepper; remove and discard seeds.
• Fill peppers with egg mixture, adding about 1/2 cup to each.

STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the tomato halves flesh-side up in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, the confectioners' sugar, red pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons salt. Spread the mixture evenly over the tomato halves. Roast the tomatoes until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat and add half of the canola oil. When it begins to smoke lightly, add half of the poblanos and cook to tenderize without making them mushy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers to a baking sheet, cavity-side up. Repeat with the remaining poblanos and canola oil. Season with salt and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the thyme. As the oil heats, the thyme will fry and become crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the thyme sprigs, then season with salt and cool. Add the bell peppers to the same skillet and season with salt. Cook over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the peppers brown slightly but are still slightly firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the peppers and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, heat until it begins to smoke lightly, and add the garlic and onions. Reduce the heat to medium. Season with salt and cook until the onions are lightly brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onions to the bell peppers.
• Quarter the oven-dried tomatoes and add to the pepper and onion mix. Chop the basil leaves and stir into the filling along with the red wine vinegar and mozzarella. Pull the thyme leaves off the stems and add to the mixture. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and melted butter. Stuff each pepper halfway with the filling, and then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
• Heat the peppers in the oven to brown the tops, 10 to 12 minutes. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar to serve.

POTATO- AND CHORIZO-STUFFED ANCHO CHILES

Steps:

• Rinse chiles, then cover with cold water in a bowl and soak, weighted with a sieve (to keep submerged), until completely rehydrated (most will turn a brighter red), about 8 hours. Do not drain chiles.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove 1 chile from soaking liquid and, working over chile bowl and sieve, cut a slit down one side with scissors and let interior liquid and loose seeds drain into sieve. Carefully cut out seedpod, leaving stem intact and letting any easily loosened seeds fall into sieve, then discard seedpod. Repeat with remaining chiles, arranging seeded chiles, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch (3-quart) baking dish.
• Reserve 1 cup chile-soaking liquid for sauce. Turn chile seeds out of sieve into a shallow baking pan and spread evenly, then toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until dry, fragrant, and a few shades darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool seeds in pan on a rack, then finely grind in grinder (you will have about 1 tablespoon).
• Purée tomatoes, including juice from can, in a blender with reserved soaking water, ground chile seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth, then transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and reduced to about 2 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1/3-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups). Cook in a 3-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender but not falling apart, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
• Stir together potatoes, chorizo, cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then fill chiles generously with stuffing (about 1/2 cup each; slit will not close over it). Pour sauce around (not over) chiles, then cover dish with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling all over, 35 to 45 minutes.

STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS

Steps:

• Turn a gas stove burner to high. Hold poblano peppers directly on the flame with a pair of tongs and turn until skins are charred. Let peppers cool. Leaving peppers as close to whole as possible, remove skins, seeds, membranes, and stems.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; stir in onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef; cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in chili pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place peppers in a nonstick casserole dish. Insert a slice of Cheddar cheese and a slice of Monterey Jack cheese into each pepper. Spoon some ground beef mixture into each pepper. Place the remaining beef on top of the peppers, and cover with enchilada sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese on top of the peppers. Bake until peppers are bubbly and fragrant, another 45 minutes.

STUFFED ANCHO CHILIES

Steps:

• Rinse chiles, cover with cold water and soak, weighted with a sieve, until completely rehydrated about 8 hours. Do not drain chiles. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Remove 1 chile from soaking liquid; working over chile bowl and sieve, cut a slit down one side with scissors and let liquid and seeds drain into sieve. Carefully cut out seedpod, leaving stem intact and letting any loosened seeds fall into sieve, then discard seedpod. Repeat with remaining chiles. Arrange chiles, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Reserve 1 cup chile-soaking liquid for sauce. Turn chile seeds out of sieve into a shallow baking pan and spread evenly,toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until dry and a few shades darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool seeds in pan on a rack, then finely grind in grinder (makes about 1 tablespoon). Purée tomatoes, including juice from can, in a blender with reserved soaking water, ground chile seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth, then transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and reduced to about 2 cups, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix beef, chorizo, cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then fill chiles generously with stuffing - slit will not close over it. Pour sauce around (not over) chiles, then cover dish with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling all over, 35 to 45 minutes.

STUFFED POBLANO CHILES ("CHILES RELLENOS")

Steps:

• Sauce: Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Chile rellenos: Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Cut a slit through 1 side of the charred chiles and fill each chile with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Close with toothpicks to hold the filling in place. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat for about 1 minute.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Dredge the filled chiles in flour until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour, then dip the chiles into the egg mixture, until well coated. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
• Arrange the chiles on a serving platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

POBLANO AND PEPPER JACK-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ANCHO CHILE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• For the poblano and pepper jack-stuffed chicken breasts: Roast the poblano peppers over an open flame until completely charred, transfer to a plastic bag and seal for 10 minutes. Peel the charred skin, remove all the seeds and cut each pepper in half.
• Meanwhile, put chicken breasts on a cutting board and pound with a meat mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, heat, then add the chicken and cook until the first side is golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden-brown, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until just cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the ancho chile cream sauce: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook until reduced by 1/3. Add the Cajun spice and ancho chile powder and simmer for another minute or so. Keep warm.
• When the chicken is done, cut each piece into 2 equal halves. Lay one piece in the centers of 2 dinner plates and top each with 2 poblano halves, 1 piece of pepper jack, and another piece of chicken. Pour half of the Ancho Chile Cream Sauce over the tops and serve immediately.

STUFFED ANCHO CHILES

Steps:

• Wipe the dried chiles clean and carefully cut a slit lengthwise. Shake out the seeds and carefully tear out any of the obvious interior ribs. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and fry the chilies briefly until they begin to puff and color slightly. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• In the same skillet, fry the sliced onion until it has colored. In another pot, bring to a boil the orange juice, vinegar, sugar (piloncillo is the coarse brown Mexican sugar that can often be found in truncated cone form), salt and pepper; cook briefly at a lower temperature then remove from the burner.
• Add the chiles and drained onions to this sweet-sour marinade, making sure they are all submerged, and let macerate, preferably overnight. Remove and drain the chiles, reserving the marinade.
• The drained chiles may then be filled with a variety of ingredients: freshly made guacamole; potato salad; tuna salad; etc. They may be presented atop a bed of lettuce, topped with crumbled farmer's cheese and drizzled with a little of the reserved marinade, if desired.

CHILES ANCHO RELLENOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slit an opening in each ancho from stem to tip, being careful not to tear the skin; carefully remove seeds and ribs, and discard.
• Combine the water, vinegar, piloncillo, cinnamon, and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add anchos; cover, and let stand 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
• Spoon filling into each chile; arrange in a baking dish. Bake chiles until heated through, about 15 minutes. Bring crema and onion to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 8 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl; stir in cilantro. Pour sauce over anchos, and serve.