Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Poblano Peppers)

People have been stuffing vegetables with tasty fillings for centuries. In Mexico, poblano chiles stuffed with cheese are very popular. The fresh cheese gets warm and soft but not too gooey. Angie’s husband prefers the cheese stuffing over the more traditional ground beef filling found in her home state of Monterrey.

Ingredients

• 6 large poblano chiles (about 1 1/3 pounds)

• 1/2 pound queso blanco

• All-purpose flour, for sprinkling

• 3 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups sunflower oil

Directions

Char the poblanos over a medium flame, turning with tongs, until all the skin is blackened, about 20 minutes. Put into a plastic bag and let steam until cool enough to handle. Remove as much as the blackened skin as you can (some char is ok) and also remove the seeds (do not rinse). Try to leave the stem and try to keep them intact as much as possible. The stem is useful for picking up the peppers.

Cut the queso blanco into 6 crosswise pieces. Stuff one piece into each chile. Set the plate of chiles next to the stove and a plate lined with paper towels as well. Sprinkle the chiles with a little flour and spread it (this is so the egg batter will stick). Separate the eggs into two bowls. Whisk the whites until frothy (and the bowl can be inverted without the whites moving). Then gently fold in the yolks until combined.

Heat the oil (or enough to come 1/2-inch up the side of the pan) in a medium skillet over high heat. The oil is ready when a little piece of batter sizzles and floats right away (about 350 degrees F).

Spread the egg on one side of the pepper and then place that side down in the hot oil. Then use the spatula to spread the egg on the other side of the pepper. Use the spatula to hold the pepper up so that it can fry on 3 sides (like a pyramid). Fry until the batter is browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes for each pepper.. Remove to the paper-towel-lined plate and continue with the remaining chiles. Serve right away.