Queso Fundido with Red Chile Vinaigrette
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Serves: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
Queso:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk (reduced fat is okay)
12 ounces mexican cheese blend (monterey jack, pepper jack, etc.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Ancho chile powder (optional)
4 ounces goat cheese, cut into small pieces
Red Chile Vinaigrette:
2 dried New Mexico chiles
2 dried Chile de Arbo chiles
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
½ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove (or ¼ tsp granulated garlic)
Salt and pepper, to taste
For garnish:
2 tablespoons cilantro
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons red radish, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the vinaigrette: Discard stems and seeds of New Mexico and Chile de Arbol chiles. Tear chiles into pieces and place in a small bowl. Soak at least 15 minutes. When chiles are soft, place in a food processor or blender, along with honey, red wine vinegar, garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add additional lime juice, honey, red wine vinegar or lime juice, as needed.
To make queso fundido: Preheat oven to broil. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk slowly and continue to cook, whisking continuously, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese blend with a wooden spoon. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir until melted and smooth. Add a drizzle of milk if mixture becomes too thick.
Scrape the cheese mixture into an oven-safe casserole dish or 8-inch case iron pan. Top with slices of goat cheese and a dusting of ancho chile powder. Broil until bubbling and golden in spots. Drizzle with red chile vinaigrette and sprinkle with cilantro, green onions and radishes. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.
From lexibites.com