Lobster and Brie Rellenos with Nanua Sauce
New Mexico Chiles are the dried form of the Red Anaheim Pepper. This chile has a thin flesh with an earthy chile flavor and undertones of wild cherries. This chile ranges from 2 – 4 on a heat scale of 1 to 10. The New Mexico Chile may be referred to as the California Chile or Chile Colorado. New Mexico Chiles are commonly used in Red Mexican or Southwestern sauces and is grown in Mexico. This mildly hot chile. Scoville heat units 8,000 – 12,000.
Suggested Use:
New Mexico Chiles are mildly hot and very popular in Southwest cooking. Great in sauces, salsa, rice dishes, stews and soups. Add directly to the cooking liquid along with other spices. Use in stir fry, or add to chicken or fish marinades.
Ingredients:
For the Nantua Sauce:
3 Tbsp brandy
3 Tbsp Pernod
1 qt lobster or fish stock
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt
For the beer batter:
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup light beer
For the Rellenos:
Olive oil to coat the bottom of a small saute pan
6 oz lightly cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp chopped chipotle in adobo
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup diced scallions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp brandy
1 Tbsp Pernod
3 oz triple-creme Brie
3 oz cream cheese
4 Anaheim green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds removed through a slit below the stems, stems left on
Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions:
For the Nantua sauce:
In a small stainless steel saucepot, warm the brandy and Pernod together and then ignite them to cook off the alcohol.
Add the stock, tomato paste and garlic, whisk to combine, and reduce to 1 1/2 cups of liquid over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
Whisk in the heavy cream and reduce to 2 cups of liquid over medium heat for about 6 minutes. Season with salt to taste and strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
Makes 2 cups.
For the Beer Batter:
Beat the egg whites in a mixer until they form stiff peaks. Set aside.
In a stainless steel bowl, lightly beat the whole egg and slowly whip in the flour and the olive oil, forming a thick, batter-like consistency. Whisk in the beer and then fold in the egg whites. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
For the Rellenos:
Heat a saute pan with the olive oil and lightly saute the lobster meat with the chipotle, garlic, scallions, salt and pepper over medium to low heat for about two minutes. Add the brandy and Pernod and carefully ignite with a match.
In a bowl, blend the Brie and cream cheese together. Fold in the lobster and mix thoroughly. Stuff the chiles with this mixture.
Fill a large, heavy skillet with 1 inch of vegetable oil and heat to 375°F. Dip the chiles in the beer batter and fry in oil for about 2 minutes a side. Finish in the oven until the cheese is melted, if necessary. Pool the sauce on 4 plates and place a relleno on top of each.
Serves 4. Heat scale: medium.
From “Fiery Foods and BBQ”, Nov/Dec 2008