Roasted poblano peppers, filled with melting cheese and coated in a light egg-white batter: these chiles rellenos come with a simple, savory tomato sauce. Take your time peeling the peppers and fill them gently so they stay intact.
Chiles rellenos means stuffed chili peppers; the filling and preparation vary from recipe to recipe. Here, poblanos are filled with cheese, dipped in a light batter and fried until golden brown, with tomato sauce underneath. Poblanos are generally mild, but the heat can vary from pepper to pepper. Their firm flesh stays sturdy enough after roasting to hold the cheese filling.
Roasting darkens and chars the skin while softening the flesh and giving it a slightly smoky flavor. Place the peppers under a hot broiler and turn them regularly so the skin blisters all over. Then cover them and let them rest: the steam helps loosen the skin. Peel them with your fingers or a small knife, and try not to rinse the peppers; water washes away some of the roasted flavor. A few bits of skin left behind are no problem.
Use a small knife to make an opening and carefully remove the seeds and ribs without cutting the pepper in half. Oaxaca cheese is a good choice if you can find it: it melts smoothly and has a mild flavor. Asadero or Chihuahua cheese works well, too. Outside Mexico, low-moisture mozzarella is a practical substitute. Grate or cut the cheese into thin strips, and don’t overfill the peppers; this makes it easier to close the opening and reduces the amount of cheese that escapes during frying.
The batter is simple: beat the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold in the yolks. The air whipped into the egg whites makes the crust light, so don’t mix any longer than necessary. A thin coating of flour on the pepper helps the batter stick. Fry the seam side first so it seals. Keep the oil hot enough for a golden-brown crust, but not so hot that the batter browns before the pepper is warmed through.
The tomato sauce adds freshness and moisture to balance the creamy cheese and crisp crust. Ripe fresh tomatoes are lovely when they’re in season; outside tomato season, you can use ripe canned tomatoes, drained if needed. Serve the sauce warm underneath or alongside the peppers, with rice or beans if you’d like to make it a more substantial meal. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a sealed container and eat them within two days. Reheat them in the oven; the crust will become a little firmer than it would in the microwave.
Preheat the oven broiler to its highest setting. Place the poblano peppers on a baking sheet and roast, turning regularly, until the skin is charred and blistered all over, about 10–15 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and cover. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion gently for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the water, add ½ tsp salt and simmer gently for 12 minutes. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender and keep the sauce warm.
Gently rub the loosened skin off the peppers. Use a small knife to make a lengthwise slit and remove the seeds and ribs through the opening, without cutting off the stem. Fill each pepper with about one quarter of the cheese and gently press the opening closed.
Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. In a second bowl, beat the yolks with the remaining 1 tsp salt. Gently fold the yolks into the egg whites until the batter is just combined.
Spread the flour on a plate and lightly coat the peppers in it; shake off any excess flour. Heat the frying oil in a large skillet to about 170 °C. Dip the peppers in the egg batter one at a time and carefully lower them into the oil, seam side down. Fry in batches, turning carefully, until golden brown all over, 5–7 minutes per pepper in total. Drain on paper towels.
Spoon warm tomato sauce onto four plates and place a fried poblano on each. Serve immediately.
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