Cornmeal and Anaheim Chile Waffles, Two Ways: Breakfast and Dinner

Makes about 5 waffles, 2 cups of gravy and 1+ cup of compote

Ingredients
5 fresh hatch chiles, hot or mild

Waffles:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 Tablespoon raw sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon oil

Gravy:
2 cups sliced mushrooms
¼ yellow onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1½ cups vegetables stock
1-2 Tablespoons almond milk (optional)
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Peach Compote:
2 cups chopped peaches, from one large or two small peaches
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 hatch chile, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
¼ cup water
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Instructions

Roast the chiles: heat a dry cast iron comal or skillet over medium high heat and roast the chiles whole until blackened in spots on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

While the chiles are hot, steam the chiles in a sealed plastic bag (lined with a paper bag) or in a bowl sealed with foil for about an hour, or until the chiles are cooled and soft.

The skin should easily come away from the chiles – remove the skin, seeds and stems. Save a little of the blackened skin for flavor if desired.
Dice the chiles and set aside. There should be about ½ cup of chopped chiles.

Make the waffles: heat your waffle iron to the hottest setting. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, corn starch salt, and black pepper in a bowl and whisk. Dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the oil to the water mixture. Add ¼ cup chopped chiles to the dry mix then pour the wet mixture over the dry. Mix well, the batter will be thin.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees to keep the waffles warm. Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment to hold your cooked waffles.

Grease your waffle iron well with cooking spray or coconut oil spray. Ladle about ⅓ cup of batter into the iron (or the correct amount according to your waffle maker’s instructions) and cook until the steam begins to dissipate.
Place the cooked waffles on the baking sheets and keep them warm in the oven. If you stack the waffles, they will not stay crisp, so keep them in a single layer.

DINNER • Make the gravy: heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the sliced onions, cooking until just translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to cook, adding half of the salt and pepper, stirring frequently. Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, another 5 minutes.

At this point, sprinkle the tablespoon of flour over the mushroom mixture and stir to coat. This will look strange and gloopy, but don’t worry. Pour the vegetable stock over the mushrooms and stir vigorously to dissolve the flour into the stock. Once the lumps of flour are gone, and the gravy has come to a simmer, you can add the garlic, herbs, and the remaining ¼ cup of hatch. Continue to stir and simmer for two additional minutes, then reduce the heat to medium low. Allow the mixture to cook and thicken to the desired consistency while stirring occasionally. Taste and then season with the remaining salt and pepper if needed. Stir in optional almond milk at the end to make a creamier gravy.

BREAKFAST • Make the compote: Combine all compote ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Stir, and allow the mixture to thicken. Depending on the ripeness of the peaches, this can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Once the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency, remove from the heat and serve warm.

Recipe slightly adapted from boardsandknives.com