Monday, October 24, 2016

Fresh Hatch Chiles



Question: What could be more of a treat than five pounds of fresh chiles from the Hatch Chile Store in Hatch, New Mexico, delivered right to my door?

Answer: The same Hatch chiles, freshly roasted in my kitchen, of course! 


Two batches of chiles spread out on foil-covered sheet pans blistered in minutes under the broiler, a process intended to separate the tough skins from the chiles' flesh. (linkThe pungent aroma of oven-roasted chiles perfumed the entire house, encouraging tasty visions of the many semi-spicy dishes to come. 


Once cooled, peeled, destemmed and deseeded the five pounds of fresh chiles filled (in single layers) five quart-size freezer bags headed for the freezer - plus a handful of chiles held in the fridge to enjoy immediately.

So far we have enjoyed: a chile and cheese frittata, chile and cheese grits, and an apple crisp with chiles. Next up will be apple, cheese and chile scones. Hmmm, I sense a breakfast/brunch pattern this week. Some recipes to follow... whenever.

Search "chiles" on this blog and you'll find them used in recipe after recipe. Fresh chiles (poblano, jalapeno, Anaheim, etc.) are a frequent ingredient choice, some sauces call for reconstituted dried chile pods, and jars of single-chile crushed or ground spices (aleppo, ancho, cayenne, chipotle, etc.) fill other flavor-layering needs. I prefer mild-to-medium heat while RL relishes a hefty sweat-on-the-brow impact, but we both agree that we do love chiles.


2 comments:

  1. I love chiles and I've experimented with using them in sweet things, like duck with cherry sauce. Chiles used in apple crisp?- now that is a new thing I should try (but not with habanero chiles- too hot)!

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    Replies
    1. Fran, apples and chiles are a familiar pairing in SW recipes. My favorite apple pie recipe adds a cup of chopped, roasted New Mexico chiles to a 10" apple pie and a scant cup of chopped pecans to the crumble topping. It's delicious without overwhelming heat. (1995 cookbook, Santa Fe Hot & Spicy Recipe)

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