In many parts of Mexico Chilies Rellenos is considered a comfort food and anytime this dish has been served to us at a lodge the chef always takes a great deal of pride in their particular recipe. Which means, of course, that there are as many different versions of this recipe has there are Mexican Grandma’s who have handed down their unique family recipe from generation to generation. I like my Chilies Rellenos with cheese for two reasons: 1) who doesn’t like melted cheesy goodness? and, 2) the dairy cuts down the heat of the chilies!

This recipe takes a little time to prepare but the end result is delicious! I serve it with rice and beans, which can quietly cook away while you fuss with the chilies. The basic recipe I have provided below can be modified in many different ways to take the meal and the flavours in different directions. Once you have perfected the basic recipe try adding cooked ground or shredded chicken, pork or beef to the stuffing. Maybe try adding little cumin, or fresh oregano, to the meat. Try adding some roasted corn, sweet peppers or slice some avocado over the top. The possibilities are limitless! What is your favourite modification?

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Sauce: Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. In a heavy medium sized sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and simmer. Some recipes will advise to simmer for 5 minutes but I like to let the sauce slowly simmer away while I take care of the rest of this recipe so that I get a fuller bodied taste to the sauce. Just be sure to keep it on a low simmer, stir often, and add a little water if it starts to reduce too much. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chilies: To char the chilies put them over a gas flame or underneath the broiler and cook until they are blackened on all sides. Enclose them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam, which will make them easier to peel. Peel, de-stem, seed and rib the chilies. A word of caution – use rubber gloves while seeding and ribbing the chilies to avoid burning your hands. Be careful to keep the chilies as intact as possible.

Chili Rellenos: Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Either stuff the chili through the stem end or cut a small slit through the side to make the opening larger (the larger the opening the more space for cheese to seep out). Fill each chili with about ¼ cup of the cheese mixture. Close with toothpicks to hold the filling in place. In a medium bowl, using a stand or hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat for about 1 minute.

In a deep fryer or heavy bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to cover the chilies. Heat until the oil reaches 375°F. Dredge the filled chilies in flour until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour, then dip the chilies into the egg mixture, until well coated. Fry until golden brown on all sides and drain on paper towels.

Arrange the chilies on a serving platter and spoon the sauce over-top to serve.

Enjoy!

Tip: I find the charring, stuffing and frying process goes a lot quicker with a nice cold Mexican beer. Every time you take a sip, stir the sauce!