Cooking with New Mexico Green Chile
April 5, 2010
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Scottsdale
• 0 Comments
Cooking with New Mexico Green Chile
Green chile is one of the most versatile and delicious ingredients to cook with. From Italian roast beef to green chile sauce to stuffed grilled green chiles it’s hard to go wrong. Here are some great tips and recipes for preparing the perfect green chile dish.
Tips for Cooking with Green Chile (and Eating it)
Most traditional New Mexican dishes start with locally grown chiles. Green chiles, roasted and peeled, are used whole or chopped. Green chile sauces are splendid spooned onto many foods--from eggs to steaks. As an ingredient, the sauces are basic to many dishes including enchiladas, burritos, and braised meats; and the best part is, they keep well. Try the sauces as suggested, or make it your own by improvising.
When working with a large quantity of chiles, especially hot kinds, protect your hands from chile burn with rubber gloves. To extinguish chile fire in the mouth, eat dairy products, starches, or sweets.
Stuffed Green Chiles
Split 3 mild green chili peppers lengthwise and remove seeds.
Ingredients (Mix):
1 pkg. frozen spinach souffle, thawed
1 tablespoon. minced onion
1/3 cup cooked crisp bacon, crumbled
Spoon into peppers and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place chiles in a buttered baking dish and cook 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 3 to 6 servings.
Green Chile Chicken Stew
Directions:
Slit each pepper lengthwise, and then use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and membranes. As stated before, when handling chiles, either wear gloves or coat your hands with vegetable oil, and don't touch your eyes or other sensitive areas.
If you’re cooking the chiles in the oven, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. As a side note, a layer of foil makes for easier cleanup later on. Place the pan in the oven (4 to 5 inches from the broiler coil). The skin will blister and turn black. Turn the peppers as required to blister all sides evenly.
If it's a nice day outdoors, and if you have a good gas barbecue grill, you can roast your chiles that way as well. Arrange the peppers over high heat, turning as necessary to blister the skins evenly on all sides.
Whichever roasting method is used, the pepper skins should be mostly black. Cover the hot chiles with a damp kitchen towel for 15 minutes or so. This acts as a steaming agent and helps to loosen the skins.
Green Chile Sauce Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb fresh roasted, peeled and chopped green chile
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 large white or yellow onion sliced
1 clove minced garlic
Salt to taste
Green Chile Sauce Instructions
1. Heat oil in a large pan
2. Add onions and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes
3. Add garlic and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes
4. Add green chile and a can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
5. Season to taste
6. Bring to a bubble and then simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors blend together
Green Chile Chicken Stew Ingredients
½ lb chicken tender or chicken breast meat cut into 1/4" pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup medium sized red potatoes cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup Green Chile Sauce
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
¾ cup whole kernel corn (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Green Chile Chicken Stew Instructions
1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot
2. Add flour and make into a roux for the stew base
3. Wisk in chicken stock so no lumps form
4. Add chicken, potatoes, garlic and green chile sauce
5. Bring to a boil
6. Simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked
7. Add corn and bring back to a boil
8. Season to taste and serve with warm flour tortillas
Always Improvise
Remember, the best recipes are the ones that you make your own. Adding your own culinary flair helps to improve even on the best of dishes. Green chile can spice up a vast assortment of recipes, and there are a large variety of dishes to work with.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Scottsdale. Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Scottsdale offers Le Cordon Bleu culinary education classes and culinary training programs in Scottsdale, Arizona. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Scottsdale for more information. Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Scottsdale does not guarantee employment or salary.