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September 12, 2006
A little something from home
Don't call them chilies, chilis, or chillies. When they come from New Mexico, they're called chiles. Just like California has certain valleys that are perfect for growing grapes, NM has a latitudinal belt that is perfect for growing chiles.
When they're in season, everyone sees them on burgers, on breakfasts, in dips, stuffed with ingredients, or eaten plain. Ask any transplanted New Mexican, and their eyes will typically glaze over when you mention Hatch Green Chiles. Furry Bryce understands this and he received some from his family. My aunt Kathy bought me a bag of them back in Houston and I brought them back to NYC.
LIke me, Bruce loves them, but he also didn't know how to roast them. We've always relied on other people, usually family, to do this task. Unprepared, green chiles can be quite spicy, as they have a thin skin where most of the capsaicin is stored. Roasting them removes the skins. Roasters in NM will roast them for you, so I've never had to prepare them. Thank zod I have an expert related to me- my aunt Kathy.
I called her, and she sent the following directions:
Put the whole fresh peppers over a high gas flame and turn the peppers as needed to blister the skin on all sides. Dont allow the flame to burn too long in one place or you'll burn through the pepper. After most of the skin looks burned, wrap the warm peppers in a wet paper towel, place it inside a plastic bag and set it aside to steam for 10 or 15 minutes. When you remove the towel, most of the skin should come off easily. Scrape off the rest of the burned skin with a knife. If you are making chile rellenos, remove the seeds carefully and try to keep the pepper intact.(it's not easy) Otherwise, cut the pepper into strips or chop it up, depending on the recipe. If you dont have ziplocks, just put them in a pot and cover them with the lid.
Obviously this merited a phone call. Open flame? Really? Yes, really, said my uncle. He then guided me through the first one.
Appreciate your yummy NM Hatch chiles. Remember to make appropriate worshipful sounds. I prefer the 'aaahaaahooohahhh' type of chant.
Place them on the actual open flame. Lock the door to prevent any expat New Mexicans from breaking in to smell them up close. I SERIOUSLY burned the first few, so be careful to act like they are durable marshmallows. Blacken, don't burn.
This is what a burned one should look like. I used the same tongs I would use to deliver babies to turn them to blacken them everywhere. The top layer blackens and loosens from the chile. Continue the holy chant, maybe mixing in a little Lionel Richie's Ambilitosetamo ya. Ya! Jamba, jamba!
Place them into a container/ziplock bag with some moistened paper towels. You can moisten them with your tears of joy that you actually are going to eat the chiles. Seal them up and let them sit in their steamy goodness for about 15-30 minutes. Feel free to do the chile dance.
Afterwards, the skins mostly just come off, or use a knife like Kathy suggested. I tried rinsing them off into the sink, but they filled with water, which was a bit disturbing.
I've frozen some, and I've used them in some quesadillas. I also have a recipe for shrimp/chile enchiladas that sound promising. I'm also going to find some burgers somewhere and bring along some diced chile. Everyone in the restaurant will wonder why I'm moaning and rocking, but people from the southwest will understand.
Posted by G at September 12, 2006 05:11 PM
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Comments
The Kitchen Market on Eighth Avenue in Chelsea has Hatch Chiles at this time of year:
http://kitchenmarket.com/
Posted by: Barry at September 12, 2006 10:39 PM
Do not rinse them. You are rinsing off flavor!
Char them a bit more fully over the flame (you ideally want no green left) and make sure that the plastic wrap seal over the container is tight and the skin should come off pretty easily. I've never heard of the moist paper towel things.
Posted by: Foxy at September 13, 2006 01:10 AM
I marvel that anyone can eat such things, as I sit here glowing red for having the audacity merely to use a chipotle-infused dressing on my salad.
Posted by: Tom at September 13, 2006 12:30 PM
I had chile rellenos yesterday for lunch. Yummmmmm.
Posted by: homer at September 13, 2006 02:45 PM
I cannot even endure Bloody Mary mix, much less roasted chiles. I like it bland bland bland, por favor.
Posted by: Joe.My.God. at September 14, 2006 03:49 PM
when i visited kayla in albuquerque last month (btw, she says hi), i had green chiles with every meal i ate. even sushi. i truly understand the tears of joy shed over a great hatch green chile breakfast.
Posted by: brian Nesbitt at September 15, 2006 01:57 PM
Moan. Moan. Moan. Mmm, mmm, good.
Posted by: Jen at September 15, 2006 06:23 PM
We need to get together for some green chili, girl!
Posted by: bryce at September 15, 2006 07:06 PM
Can I come over?
You can also roast them in your oven using the broiler, fyi. At least, that is how my family always did it.
Posted by: GayProf at September 16, 2006 03:46 PM