Rajas Con Crema (Poblano Strips with Onions and Cream)
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:
2 pounds fresh poblano chiles (about 8)
8 medium white onions
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
Instructions:
Roast and peel the chiles.
Wearing rubber gloves, cut the chiles into 1/3″ thick strips. Halve the onion lengthwise and cut each half lengthwise into 1/4″ thick slices.
In a heavy skillet cook the onion in oil over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chiles, cream and salt to taste. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Rajas can be made 1 day ahead of time and chilled, covered in the refrigerator. Reheat the rajas before serving.
Yields enough rajas for 32 tacos.