Chiles Rellenos

Chillies

• poblano chillies8
• mozzarella300 g
• plain flour60 g
• eggs4
• vegetable oil400 ml
• salt

Broth

• tomatoes600 g
• white onion½
• garlic cloves2
• chicken stock400 ml
• bay leaves1
• vegetable oil1 tbsp

Chillies

1. 01

   Char the poblano chillies directly over a flame or under a hot grill until blackened all over.

2. 02

   Put them in a bowl covered with a plate for 10 minutes, then rub the skins off. Do not rinse them under the tap or you wash away the flavour.

3. 03

   Cut a slit down each one and carefully pull out the seeds, leaving the stem on.

4. 04

   Cut the mozzarella into batons, push them into the chillies and press each slit closed.

Broth

5. 05

   Blend the tomatoes, onion and garlic, then fry the purée in the oil for 5 minutes until it darkens.

6. 06

   Add the stock and bay and simmer for 15 minutes. It should stay thin — a broth to sit the chillies in, not a sauce to coat them.

Battering and frying

7. 07

   Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then beat in the yolks one at a time with a pinch of salt. The batter should hold its shape.

8. 08

   Dust each stuffed chilli in flour, shaking off the excess. Flour is what gives the batter something to grip.

9. 09

   Heat the oil in a deep frying pan about 20 cm across, so it is at least 1 cm deep, to 180°C. Hold a chilli by the stem, coat it in the batter and lower it in.

10. 10

    Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, spooning hot oil over the top, until puffed and golden. Drain.

11. 11

    Ladle the broth into shallow bowls and sit the chillies in it.