Рецепт Chile or Chili, it's still Green.
May 5th, Cinco
de Mayo is today, so a perfect opportunity to talk about chile peppers. Is it Chile or Chili? If it is the country in South America, it is
Chile. If it is the singer from the
group "TLC", it is Chilli; and when it is very cold outside, well
that is Chilly. However, when it is the
vegetable, it is the Green Chile Pepper, but when exactly does it become Chili?
Then there is the plural, is it Chiles
or Chilies? Confusing, and so many
sources have so many definitions; so many recipes use the spellings so
interchangeably. Let’s just get to the
story of the Chile Pepper itself and the most popular one in the Southwest is
the New Mexico Green Chile Pepper, primarily grown in Hatch, New Mexico. Oh yes, there are numerous types of chile
peppers within the United States, and worldwide, but I am just going to focus
on this one type for now.
Hatch chiles (ies) are
available in a canned version, all roasted, seeded and peeled for you which is
advantageous if you cannot find fresh chiles in your area. This is what I had to do when I lived in
Lancaster, PA, and while convenient, there was still that metallic taste from
the aluminum cans to contend with. Nope,
there is no better alternative to fresh chiles than fresh chiles.
Roasting vegetables such
as the chile pepper is actually not that difficult. No, you do not need that large barrel type
roaster you may have seen on a cooking show or outside of Walmart in Cortez,
CO. Your own barbeque grill, stove top
burner (gas only), or oven will do will do that job, and very well. Do make sure to grease up the rack on your
grill or in your oven; otherwise the chiles will stick and tear apart when
being removed.
Remember, you can do the
roasting technique, not just for chile peppers, but those large bell peppers
too. When jalapenos are roasted, they
become known as chipotle, so be careful if you are one of those people who
says, "I hate jalapenos, but love chipotles"; they're the same.
Anyway, once the peppers are blackened, place them in a brown paper bag, seal
it and let the steam from the peppers make your work easier. Once the peppers are
warm to the touch, the skins will easily peel off; give the stems a twist and
pull the seed pods right out. Give them a rinse, let them dry and they can be
frozen for up to six months, or used immediately.
Two items you can make
with your roasted peppers are Green Chile (or Chili) Sauce and Salsa Verde.
With Salsa Verde, it is made using tomatillo instead of actual green tomatoes.
The tomatillo, also known as tomato verde (green tomato) or Mexican husk cherry
is related to the gooseberry, and in the nightshade family.
Basic Green Chile Sauce
Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. canola oil
6 large green chile
peppers; roasted, seeded, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. cumin
2 cups water
Salt Preparation:
In a large sauce pan, heat
the oil on medium-high heat; sauté' onion until softened; the garlic should be
added when you see the onion just beginning to soften. Reduce heat to low, add
the peppers, cumin and water; simmer for 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.
Puree to desired consistency using a blender or immersion blender; add salt to
taste. Makes 1 and 1/2 cups.
Basic Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
6 tomatillos, removed from
husks and washed
Water
1/4 chopped onion
1 clove garlic
3 large green chile peppers;
roasted, seeded, peeled and chopped
Salt Preparation:
Place tomatillos and water
into a large saucepan; on medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low
and let simmer for 15 minutes.Quarter the tomatillos;
add tomatillos, onion, garlic and peppers to a blender. Set on puree and slowly
add 1/4 cup water until ingredients achieve a smooth texture. Makes 1 and 1/2 cups.
You now have two sauces,
but what to do with them? While you can
enjoy them as dips for a party, they can be used in such Mexican recipes as
enchiladas or burritos; used as toppings for a breakfast skillet or even in a
main dish. Here is a simple recipe you
can make quickly at home; rice, grilled vegetables or a salad can serve as the
side dish.
Green Chile Chicken Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 skinless chicken
tenderloins
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. ground black
pepper
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
2 Tbsp. white wine (NOT
cooking wine, real wine!)
1 cup green chile sauce,
warmed
8 tsp. diced red tomatoes
Preparation:
In a large skillet,
medium-high heat, heat the oil; place the chicken "skin side up" and
evenly sprinkle with the oregano, black pepper and salt. Brown chicken for 3 minutes.
Turn the tenderloins over,
remove the skillet from the heat and add the white wine; this will keep the
wine from accidentally catching on fire. Remember, you are not making a flambé', just
searing the chicken. Set back on heat
and cook 3 minutes before removing from skillet. Two tenderloins per
serving, a tablespoon of sauce over each plus a teaspoon of diced red
tomatoes. You will get the heat
temperature from the seared chicken and warmed sauce; the spicy heat of the
green chiles grabs you; but now the cool, sweetness of the tomatoes gives you a
full flavor taste explosion in your mouth. Mexican style rice, grilled
vegetables or even a simple salad as a side, makes this a complete meal; and
there is the key word: simple.
Enjoy and Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Mary Cokenour