Fresh poblano chile peppers rellenos (stuffed with shrimp and cheese).
Shrimp and Cheese Chile Rellenos
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
#FishFridayFoodies
This month for Fish Friday Stacy has us set to do seafood fillings in a creative way. For my part, I will be sharing shrimp and cheese chile rellenos. You can see the entire collection by clicking the blue frog just below.
“Seafood Fillings”
Hosted by Stacy Rushton
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The first chile rellenos I remember having were when I was a kid and we’d go to some hole in the wall place that I think was on Waverly Avenue in E. St. Louis. Illinois.It’s hard to remember too much as I was only about 7 y/o at the time. I remember trying hers and I thought they were okay, but I was a kid. So not too crazy about them.
Of course as I got older my love for chiles blossomed, and poblanos were always one of my favorites, since they are so easy to fill. The trick to peeling them is to blister the skin- you can do this over flame, under the broiler, or even on a grill. Toss them into a bowl and cover it with plastic as that makes them sweat. After about fifteen minutes you can easily peel most of the skin off, flicking at it with the edge of your paring knife.
Just don’t over-char them or manhandle or you won’t have enough pepper left to do anything with. A few bits of skin left is ok.
I try to keep the stem intact, cut a slit up the sides and then carefully cut the seed ball out at the top. Be careful with the membranes inside so you don’t tear up the pepper. A light rinse is ok to ditch the seeds.
From there, stuff them with enough filling that you can still get it closed and place toothpicks in an “X” shape to keep it closed.
Then flour the peppers so the coating sticks well, and dip into the beaten batter, which is very foamy, but that’s fine. They brown up nicely.
Keep them warm on a plate while you fry up the lot. It shouldn’t take too long. After that you can cover with sauce and cheese as you like so they will be perfect. Just don’t forget to remove those toothpicks before eating.
See how lovely they turn out? My mom would have been proud, and probably eaten every last one, leaving me to whip up a fresh batch, but that’s fine. I love cooking for family and friends. Always. What does your family like for you to make?
Shrimp and Cheese Chile Rellenos
Ingredients:
- 10 fresh poblano peppers
- 12 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 8 ounces cooked and peeled shrimp
- 2-3 cups red chile (enchilada) sauce (click link for recipe)
- cooking oil
- toothpicks
- plastic wrap
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- additional flour for dredging peppers
Method:
- Char peppers: you can do this over a gas burner, gas grill, on a comal (cast-iron griddle), or under a broiler set on high. As peppers darken, turn them to darken the other sides. Don’t overdo it- you don’t want your peppers getting mushy.
- Drop them into a metal bowl or similar and cover the bowl with plastic wrap; let them sit about fifteen minutes to sort of steam up the skins.
- Then gently scrape off the skins being careful not to tear or rough-handle the peppers. You can use a butter knife but I just use my fingers, keeping a bowl of water nearby to rinse my fingers as the skins tend to stick to my fingers. If a little bit doesn’t want to come off, it is better to keep that little bit of pepper skin rather than force it and tear the pepper.
- Next, use a paring knife to make a shallow slit in a “T” shape just beneath the stem, just big enough to slip in a finger and pry out the seeds. Then rinse the insides under cool water and drain the peppers upside down in a colander to get the water out.
- Chop the shrimp small but not into a paste and toss with 8 ounces of the cheese and set aside.
- Cup the pepper in your hand opening side up and lightly fill them with the shrimp/cheese mixture, press the slit closed and pin with two wooden toothpicks in an “X” shape (you’ll remove the toothpicks after cooking).
- Dredge the peppers in a bit of extra flour and shake off excess (it helps the coating stick better).
- Start heating oil about an inch deep in a large skillet over moderate heat- you want it hot but not smoking hot.
- Place the egg yolks into a small bowl and whisk with the salt, cumin and flour. It will be a little bit thick.
- Place the egg whites in a mixer bowl and beat on high using the balloon whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold the yolk mixture into the whites until smooth.
- When the oil is ready, dip each floured pepper into the foamy egg mixture and lift it out by the stem (so you don’t knock the batter off) and lower into the skillet, frying several minutes on each side until golden, then lift out with a slotted pancake turner and place on a platter.
- When those are all done, you can line them up in a casserole dish, cover with enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese and bake at about 375°F. until the cheese melts, or alternatively, place a pepper on a microwave-safe plate, cover with sauce and cheese and microwave it about a minute until the cheese melts on top. Since I had extra (just two people here), I did the microwave method so I don’t have the sauce on the leftovers, but can add that when I do the reheat. I wrap them individually in foil and refrigerate, then reheat in a toaster oven with the sauce and cheese. It’s how a small family rolls.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com
You Might Also Like:
Caldo de Mariscos (Mexican Seafood Soup)
Chayote and Cuitlacoche Enchiladas
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I was not expecting the battering and frying, Sue. Yum, yum, yum! That filling, that cheese! I’m sitting over here drooling, deeply regretting the lack of poblano peppers in Dubai. This is going on the must-make list for next time I’m back in Texas.
Maybe you can get some seeds and try growing them. Will they let you bring in seeds or do they have agricultural restrictions?
I love Chile Rellenos. I have never made them myself though. This recipe will help rectify that. They look scrumptious.
They are pretty easy to make. You can fill them with just about anything, too. I used an enchilada red chile sauce on these, but typical is also the ranchero sauce. Which I have a recipe for somewhere on the blog. Buried inside years of cooking fun.
These look incredible. They fry up so beautifully and then there’s that cheese on top. I’m craving them right now.
What a great dinner! They look so flavorful and oh so cheesy!
I really need to just bite the bullet and make Rellenos! These look delicious and I love what you did for the filling!
I’ve never had these before and they really do sound like something I would love!!!
Yum! This looks so good I’ve never made these before, and this is making me want to give it a try!