Eggplant Chiles Rellenos Recipes

EGGPLANT AND MANCHEGO FILLED CHILE RELLENO WITH RED PEPPER-BALSAMIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the eggplant with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper and place onto a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss with the garlic and oregano and place back into the oven for another 10 minutes, until the eggplant is lightly golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven, add the parsley and gently toss to combine. Let cool slightly.
• Place the eggplant into a bowl and toss with the cheeses. Set aside.
• Combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Bring the vinegar to a boil in a small nonreactive saucepan and cook until thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup. Stir in the honey and set aside.
• Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Divide the eggplant filling among the peppers, compressing it into the shape of the pepper (the roasted pepper is very delicate and may begin to tear, but it will be fine).
• Place the flour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the pepper completely in the flour and tap off any excess. Dip the peppers into the beer batter and allow excess to drain off. Place the cornmeal on a plate and season with salt and pepper and dredge the pepper in the cornmeal.
• In a large frying pan, heat the oil to 370 degrees F.
• Fry the peppers in batches, turning until lightly brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Spoon some of the sauce in the middle of the plate. Place a relleno on top of the sauce and drizzle the relleno with some of the balsamic reduction. Garnish with parsley.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CHILI RELLENOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place peppers onto the prepared baking sheet, and cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Turn the peppers often to blacken all sides. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes.
• Rinse cooled peppers under cold water to peel off the skins, and cut a slit along the long side of each pepper to remove the seeds and core. Rinse the peppers inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Stuff the peppers with strips of the cheese.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the baking powder. In a second metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture. Place flour into a shallow bowl.
• Heat the vegetable shortening in a skillet over medium heat. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour, tap off excess flour, and dip the peppers into the egg mixture to coat both sides. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot shortening. Fry peppers until lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.

STUFFED PEPPERS (CHILES RELLENOS)

Steps:

• Wash chiles, dry and place on broiler rack about an inch from heat. Turn chiles frequently until they are blistered and lightly brown. Watch carefully. As each chile is done, place it in a plastic bag and keep bag closed. As each chile cools, remove from bag and peel. Use a paring knife and your fingers. (Chiles can be peeled a day ahead and refrigerated in a plastic bag.)
• Cut a slit down the side of each chile. Carefully remove seeds and white membrane. Be careful not to weaken stem.
• Stuff each chile with a piece of cheese about 1/2 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick and a little shorter than the length of the chile. Lap the cut edges over a little to encase the filling.
• Roll chiles in flour to coat evenly; shake off excess.
• Beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Beat yolks until thick. Fold whites into yolks.
• Heat enough oil in large frying pan to the depth of 1/4 inch.
• Hold each chile by stem end and dip into batter. Fry in hot oil, only as many as the skillet can hold without crowding. When golden brown, turn and fry until golden brown on second side. Remove and drain thoroughly on paper towels. Serve immediately with the following tomato sauce, if desired.

REAL CHILES RELLENOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the peppers onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 8 to 10 minutes per side. When the peppers are about 80 percent blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins. To reduce spiciness, rinse out any remaining seeds with water. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels.
• Mix together the shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks. Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• To make sauce, blend the stewed tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cinnamon. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce until reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C), and warm a platter in the oven.
• To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter. Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter.
• Heat frying oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side. Remove peppers to warmed platter while you finish frying. To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce. Serve peppers hot with a dollop of sour cream.

BOBBY FLAY'S EGGPLANT AND MANCHEGO CHILES RELLENOS WITH RED PEPPER-BALSAMIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Toss the eggplant, garlic, and oregano with the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once, until light golden brown and soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly. Then fold in the cheese and chopped parsley.
• Whisk the beer, eggs, and flour together in a medium bowl until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.
• Make a 3-inch slit lengthwise down the center of each chile, and carefully remove the seeds using a small spoon. Divide the eggplant filling among the chiles, compressing it into the shape of the pepper (the roasted chiles are very delicate and may begin to tear but will be fine). Thread a skewer through each slit to close.
• Scoop about a cup of flour onto a plate, and season it with salt and pepper. Scoop the cornmeal onto a plate, and season it with salt and pepper. Dredge the chiles completely in the flour and tap off any excess. Dip the chiles into the beer batter and allow the excess to drain off. Then dredge the chiles in the cornmeal and tap off any excess.
• Heat the canola oil to 370°F in a large frying pan or shallow pot. Fry the peppers in batches, turning them, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Ladle the Red Pepper Sauce onto the center of 6 plates, drizzle with some of the balsamic glaze and oregano leaves, and place the chiles rellenos on top. Garnish with parsley.
• Combine the red peppers, roasted and fresh garlic, chipotle, vinegar, and oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, whisk in the crema, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the vinegar to a boil in a small nonreactive saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 30 minutes. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper.

EGGPLANT CHILES RELLENOS

Steps:

• Add water to a large pot; bring to a boil.
• Add in eggplant and onion; cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender; drain well; set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together eggs, green chiles, hot sauce, cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Add in eggplant mixture; beat using an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture is smooth.
• Spoon mixture into a 1-quart casserole that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
• Mix together the cracker crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over the casserole.
• Bake in a 375° oven for 45 minutes or until pick comes out clean.
• Serve with picante or salsa.