Beer Battered Chiles Rellenos With Warm Chipotle Salsa Food

CHILES RELLENOS

Steps:

• To prepare the chiles:
• Position a rack on the upper most shelf of the broiler element and preheat. Put the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skin is charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover, and cool for 10 minutes.
• Carefully rub the charred skin off the chiles. Using a small knife, make a lengthwise slit along the side of each chile to form a pocket. Carefully cut out and discard the seeds.
• Cut the cheese into 6 (1/4-inch-thick) slabs, about 3/4 the length of each chile (your chiles probably vary in length, so tailor the cheese to the chiles). Slip the cheese pieces into the pocket of each chile so they're 2/3 full. (If the cheese protrudes from the chiles, just cut a little off.) "Sew" each chile shut with a wooden skewer or long toothpick. (The skewers should be longer than the chiles, so they can be easily pulled out after frying.)
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, cumin, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the beer to a make a smooth batter.
• In a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot, pour in the oil to a depth of about 3 inches. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 365 degrees F.
• Put the flour for dredging on a plate. Working in 2 batches, dredge the chiles in the flour (the dampness of the chiles creates a light paste with the flour that seals over any tears), dip in the batter, and carefully add to the oil. Fry, turning the chiles once, until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer the chiles rellenos to a dry paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Gently pull out and discard the skewers.
• Heat the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce on a plate and set 1 chile relleno on top. Repeat with the remaining sauce and chiles. Serve.
• In a blender, combine all the ingredients and puree until smooth.
• Transfer the tomato puree to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until slightly thick, about 10 minutes.
• Yield: about 3 cups

BEER BATTERED CHILES RELLENOS WITH WARM CHIPOTLE SALSA

Steps:

• To make the batter: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, egg, oil, and salt. Whisk in just enough beer to make a thick, clinging batter. Do not overmix. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a broiler (grill) rack about 6 inches (15 cm) from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Broil (grill) the chiles just until most of the tops are blackened and blistered, about 5 minutes. Turn and broil to blacken the skins on the other side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the chiles to a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until the chiles are cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Leaving the stems on and trying to keep the chiles as intact as possible, peel off and discard the blackened skin. Using a small, sharp knife, slit open one side and remove the seeds from each chile.
• In a small bowl, mix together the cheese and corn. Fill each chile with the cheese mixture. Using wooden toothpicks, close up the slits in the chiles. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 200F (95c) Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Pour oil into a large saucepan to a depth of 2 inches (5cm). Heat over high heat to 360F (182c) on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in 2 or 3 batches, dip the stuffed chiles in the batter, letting the excess batter run back into the bowl (you may need to thin it a bit with the beer). Carefully place in the hot oil and deep-fry over high heat, turning once, until golden brown, transfer the fried chiles to the wir rack on the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining chiles.
• Reheat the chipotle salsa gently over low heat. Spoon equal amounts of the warm salsa onto individual plates. Top with the fried chiles and serve immediately, garnished with cilantro if desired.
• Salsa: In a nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 can diced tomatoes with their juice; chipotle chile in adobo, and dried oreganol Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro. Set aside until needed.