Roasting Chili Peppers for Chili Rellenos has always been a
time consuming, labor intensive chore with inconsistent results. I have tried charcoal grilling, broiling in
the oven, using the flame on my gas stove, and my turkey fryer burner. The
results tend to be uneven, especially in deeply creased peppers.
One day as I was preparing to make Rellenos, I spotted my propane
torch. Could it work? I grasped a pepper
with tongs, lit the torch (mine uses MAP gas), and aimed it at the pepper. The
results were almost instantaneous. The
skin blacked and popped, and in no time it was done. I was able to achieve an even char, even into
the crevasses.
I did notice that this method works so fast that very little
softening and cooking of the pepper occurs.
This is fine if you want extra firm rellenos, but I find them to end up
a bit raw after the usual cooking times.
In addition, while you can char the peppers very quickly with the torch
flame, I have found it best to hold the flame a bit farther away from the
pepper and take a bit more time. This
seems to make rubbing the skin off easier.
Most recipes call for placing the just roasted peppers in a
plastic bag for 15 minutes to facilitate the skinning process. I find I just end up with a melted bag. I place the peppers in a large, microwave
safe bowl after roasting. I then add a
bit of water and cover the bowl, and microwave it for a few minutes (be
careful, microwave time varies). I then let the peppers sit in the covered bowl
steaming for about 10 minutes without additional heat. This softens the skin and the peppers.
If you want a healthy easy to prepare alternative to traditional
deep fried Chili Rellenos, my wife and I have created a Deconstructed Chili
Relleno Casserole. See next post.
Wick Hunt
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