Chile Relleno and Enchilada Sauce

Enchilada Sauce:

7 California chilies

2 tomatoes

2-4 cups of water

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 TBS canola oil

½ TBS flour

Directions:

Add water to a medium sauce pan and then add the chiles and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Just before boiling add the garlic. Once boiling turn the heat off and cover the sauce pan and let sit for an hour or two.

Add salt and oregano to blender then add the chiles, tomato, garlic and water to the blender. Blend well.

Add oil to a large sauce pan (Used large oval dutch oven) and heat over medium heat. Add flour to oil to form a roux. Cook flour for a minute stirring constantly. Add the blended chili mixture to the dutch oven but pass through a strainer to remove seeds and skin. Cook over medium heat until a low boil and allow to thicken. 

Add the rellenos to the boiling sauce and cook for about one minute. Remove the relleno with a slotted spoon and place in glass baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the relleno.

Heat in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated.

Relleno:

8 Passilo peppers

1 pound shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1/2 white onion chopped

2 Roma tomatoes chopped

1/2 cup flour

3 eggs yolks and whites separated

Directions:

Heat peppers over an open flame to completely char the exterior. Place in a plastic bag or place in a bowl and cover with oil for an hour or so to loosen the skins. Remove the skins and create a lengthwise slit along the pepper and fill with cheese (directions below). I also remove the seed ball located near the stem.

Add a teaspoon of canola oil to a hot skillet and add onions and tomato and cook until onions are translucent. Add the shredded cheese and mix until cheese is melted and the onion and tomato well mixed. Remove from heat and set aside while prepping the peppers. Use a tablespoon to stuff the melted cheese into the pepper.

Separate the egg whites and yolks. Whip the egg whites until they have thickened and then fold the egg yolks carefully into the whites add flour and season with salt and fold to complete the batter.

Roll each cheese stuffed pepper into flour and then into the egg batter/wash and place into a sauté pan with hot oil. Fry the pepper to set and cook egg wash on exterior of the pepper.  Remove pepper to a sheet pan. Repeat until all peppers have been cooked.

Add the peppers to the slightly boiling enchilada sauce and allow to cook for about 1 minute. As mentioned in the sauce recipe, the peppers are not placed in the glass-cooking pan and covered with sauce. Re-warm as indicated above.