Poblano Vichyssoise with Lime
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:
1 pound baking potatoes, like russets (about 2)
5 cups water
4 medium leeks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 cups half-and-half or light cream
3/4 pound poblano chile peppers (about 4 large), roasted, procedure follows
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste
garnish: halved lime slices
Instructions:
Peel and dice potatoes. Put them in a bowl and combine with water. Discard the dark green tops of the leeks and chop the remaining leeks. In another bowl, soak the leeks in water to cover, agitating occasionally to dislodge any sand, about 5 minutes. Lift the leeks out of the water and drain in a colander.
In a heavy kettle cook the leeks and onion in butter over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened. Add the potatoes with water and salt, and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are very soft about 40 minutes. Add the milk and half-and-half or cream and bring just to a boil, stirring.
In a blender, puree the soup with half of the chiles in batches until smooth, straining as pureed through a very fine sieve into a large bowl, and stir in the sour cream and lime juice. Chill the soup, covered, until very cold(for up to 1 day).
Cut the remaining chiles into small dices. Serve the soup garnished with lime slices and the remaining diced chiles.
To roast peppers:
Using a long-handled fork, char the peppers over an open flame or on a rack set over an electric burner, turning, until skins are blackened, 4-6 minutes. (Alternatively, broil the peppers on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2″ from heat, turning every 5 minutes, for 15-20 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred). Transfer the peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them, starting at blossom end. Cut off tops and discard the seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chiles.)
Recipe from Gourmet Magazine.