Chicken-Stuffed Poblanos
This chile pepper is often mislabeled ‘Pasilla’, which is a different pepper entirely.It is one of the most popular chiles in Mexico and has won the appreciation of many a chef worldwide because of the superior flavor it has over regular bell peppers.
They have a tough outer skin that usually requires roasting and peeling before use. These very large chile peppers are most popular in chiles rellenos recipes, but cooking with these as a substitute for bell peppers in any recipe will enhance the flavor.
Ingredients:
8 medium poblano chiles (1-1/4 pounds)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp. corn oil
1/4 cup water
2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast meat (1/2 pound)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2-1/2 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/4″ dice
Instructions:
Roast the chiles.
Make filling:
Cook the onion in a medium non-stick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion begins to turn a golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chicken, salt and pepper. Cool completely, then stir in the cheese.
Stuff and bake the chiles:
Preheat oven to 350F. Rub the skins off of the chiles and cut a slit lengthwise down the center of each chile, carefully removing the seeds (leave the stem attached). Stuff the filling into the chiles through the slits, keeping the chiles intact. Place them in a 13″x 9″ baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake the chiles in the middle of oven until the cheese has melted, about 30 min. (The chiles can be stuffed 1 day ahead of time and chilled, covered in the refrigerator.)
Makes 4 servings.