Potato-Green Chile Gratin
Anaheim’s are very popular in Southwestern US Cuisine. Also called “New Mexican Chile”. These were developed by Dr. Fabian Garcia in New Mexico about 100 yrs ago who was seeking a chile pepper that was bigger, fleshier, and milder.
They got the name “Anaheim” when a farmer named Emilio Ortega brought these seeds to the Anaheim area in the early 1900′s. This chile can be roasted and peeled and used in recipes or stuffed to make chile rellenos just as the Poblano Chile.
Ingredients:
6 fresh green Anaheim or poblano chiles (3/4 pound)
2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1 large garlic clove
2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
kosher salt
Special equipment: a mandoline or other manual slicer
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375F. Lay the chiles on their sides and put them on the rack of a gas burner, and turn the flame on high. (Or put the chiles on the rack of a broiler pan about 2″ from the heat.) Roast the chiles and turn them with tongs, until the skins are blackened, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
Rub the skins off the chiles with paper towels and discard the stems and seeds (if desired, devein the chiles to further reduce heat). Cut the chiles into 1/4″ thick strips.
Bring the cream with garlic just to a simmer and remove from heat. Peel the potatoes and cut crosswise into 1/16″ thick slices using a mandoline. Arrange one-third of the potatoes evenly in the bottom of a well-buttered 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish, overlapping them slightly, and sprinkle with salt, to taste, and 1/2 of the chiles. Repeat, ending with a layer of potatoes. Remove the garlic from the cream and pour the cream over the potatoes. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the lower third of oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, basting the top occasionally, until the gratin is golden brown on top and bubbling, about 30 minutes more. Cool slightly before serving.
Recipe from The Food Network.