New York-based artist Ser Serpas shares a taste of her hometown staple, made with love by her grandmother
An artist whose practice is deeply tapped in her surroundings, Ser Serpas’ recipe is grounded in her native Los Angeles. When the New York-based artist finds herself back west, her comfort meal is a simple family recipe passed down by her grandmother: chile rellenos. The stuffed peppers are the first thing that comes to the artist’s mind when she lands in LA. “They are compact, light, fluffy, and made with care by my abuelita,” says Serpas. “I top them with cream and a heavy dose of hot sauce fresh off of the pan.”
Ingredients
- 6 whole poblano peppers
- 1⁄2 lb melting cheese, thinly sliced
- 1⁄4 cup flour
- 6 whole raw eggs (separated)
- 1⁄2 cup flour
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 2 cups home style mexican salsa
- 1 cup corn oil
Instructions
- Rinse the chiles.
- Preheat your oven to broil.
- Place the chiles in a 9 x 14 baking dish and place on the top shelf of your oven.
- When the skins start to make popping sounds and to char and turn black in places, take the chiles out and flip them over.
- When both sides are fairly evenly charred, remove them from the oven.
- Wrap each chile in a moist paper towel or place in a sealed plastic bag to steam.
- After a few minutes, check them. Once the skin comes off easily, peel each chile. Try not to tear into the actual chile.
- Cut a slit almost the full length of each chile. Make a small "t" across the top, by the stem. Pull out fibers and seeds (this is where the heat is) and replace with a slice of cheese. I use a tea spoon for this to gently scrape/scoop the seeds out. It�s ok if you miss a few. You can set these aside, for a few minutes or a few hours if you put them in the refrigerator.
- Whip the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer, until stiff peaks have formed.
- Heat the oil in a skillet until a drop of water sizzles when dropped into the pan.
- Beat the egg yolks with one tablespoon of flour and salt. Mix the yolks into egg whites and stir until you have a thick paste.
- Roll the chiles in 1/4 cup flour and dip each one in the egg batter. Coat evenly (I'm still not very good at this step, but try not to coat the chiles too thickly). Fry, seam side down on both sides until golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain.
- Meanwhile, heat the salsa in a medium saucepan (either one or some of each). Place one or two rellenos on each plate and pour salsa over them. Serve them immediately! I recommend serving them with rice, beans, and tortillas. Sour cream is also good on these.