[CH] Chilies for taste explosion
Linda Panter (lipant@sympatico.ca)
Sat, 9 Jul 2005 15:00:33 -0400
Chilies for taste explosion
Not all are hot, but each has a distinct flavor, best use.
By Doug Blackburn
New York Times News Service
When you pick a chili, pick wisely.
Not all fresh chilies are heat-seeking missiles, waiting to make
you sweat and possibly even weep.
Just as peppers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and
colors, each particular chili is different.
Because chilies offer a rainbow of flavors and textures in
addition to varying degrees of heat and color, they should be
regarded as delicate gems for creating complexity in dishes as
basic as a salad or a dressing.
And not all come packing heat.
Consider the Anaheim chili. Long and slender and light green in
color, it looks as if it throws a powerful punch. But Anaheims
are among the mildest chilies and are the suggested pepper (or
poblanos) for making the flavorful dish chilies relleņos.
On the telltale Scoville scale, Anaheims weigh in at between
1,000 and 1,500.
Sure, that sounds high, but consider that the ubiquitous jalapeņo
measures three times more and any chili less than 5,000 is
considered mild. Habaņeros, the mother of all hot chilies, get a
Scoville rating between 100,000 and 350,000.
Scoville numbers are named for Wilbur Scoville, who devised the
scale for measuring heat in chilies. The numbers reflect the
amount of capsaicin, the primary alkaloid in chilies that gives
them heat.
Bell peppers fail to dent the Scoville scale, and they usually
are located in a separate area from chilies in the supermarket.
They deserve a sweetness scale, because grilled or roasted bell
peppers vary significantly. Orange and red bell peppers are much
sweeter than green and purple peppers.
While jalapeņos are at the heart of most salsa recipes and can be
consumed raw (be sure to remove the seeds), they lose some of
their kick when fried or sauteed and lose even more when part of
a slow-cooked dish. If you char a jalapeņo, it actually becomes
sweeter.
Smoked jalapeņos, on the other hand, intensify slightly in heat.
They are usually called chipotles instead of smoked jalapeņos.
Cubanelles, which bear some resemblance to Anaheim chilies
(Cubanelles are bigger), are considered the best frying pepper.
It's important to get to know each type of chili before combining
them.
Likewise, never judge a chili by its name or its size: Habaņeros
are among the smallest.
Hot Hungarian wax chilies sound as if they will rock your world.
In reality, they are only a wee bit hotter than Anaheims and
poblanos. Hungarian chilies can be sliced raw and added to
salads.
Finally, a note of caution regarding all chilies (but not bell
peppers):
Wear gloves when handling. It's almost impossible to keep the
capsaicin oil from getting on your hands, and if you rub your
eyes or lips a burning sensation will ensue. And do not let steam
from cooking chilies get into your eyes if you are wearing
permeable contact lenses.
When you are done slicing and dicing chilies, be sure to wash the
knife and cutting surface - and your hands.
Roasted Tomato-Jalapeņo Salsa
Makes 2 cups
1 pound red, ripe tomatoes
2 large fresh jalapeņo chilies
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Scant teaspoon salt
1/2 small white onion, freshly chopped
1/3 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
11/2 teaspoons cider vinegar, optional
1. Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet and place 4 inches
below a very hot broiler and roast until blistered and blackened
on one side, about 6 minutes.
2. With a pair of tongs, flip tomatoes and roast other side.
3.Cool, then peel the skins, collecting all the juices with the
tomatoes.
4.While tomatoes are roasting, roast chilies and unpeeled garlic
directly on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium
heat.
5.Turn occasionally until chilies and garlic are blackened in
spots and soft, 5 to 10 minutes for the chilies, 15 minutes for
the garlic.
6. Cool, pull the stems off the chilies and peel the papery skins
from the garlic.
7.In a food processor or blender, grind the chilies, garlic and
1/4 teaspoon of the salt to a coarse paste, stopping to scrape
down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
8. Add the tomatoes and pulse a few times until you have a
coarse-textured puree.
9. Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl and stir in any reserved
tomato juices.
10. In a strainer, rinse the onion under running water, shake off
the excess and stir into the salsa, along with the cilantro and
vinegar.
11. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons water, if needed, to give the salsa a
thickish, but easily spoonable, consistency.
12. Taste and season with salt, usually a scant 1/4 teaspoon, and
the salsa is ready to serve.
Note: This salsa comes into its own a few hours after it's
finished, especially if left at room temperature. It can be made
through step 9 (prior to adding onion) a day or two ahead,
covered and refrigerated. Add the cilantro and onion shortly
before serving.
- From Mexican Kitchen, by Rick Bayless (Scribner)
Per quarter-cup serving: 18 calories, 0.8 gram protein, 4 grams
carbohydrates, 2 grams sugar, no fat, no cholesterol, 153
milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.
Poblano Chiles Relleņos
Makes 3 servings
11/2 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1/2
teaspoon for later seasoning
12 ounces beer
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1 clove minced garlic
11/2 cups fresh corn kernels Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
6 poblanos, charred and peeled
Corn oil, for frying
Sour cream, as accompaniment
Lime wedges, as accompani- ment
1. Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in
a large bowl.
2. Gradually add beer, whisking until batter is smooth. Cover
with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.
3.Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the
scallions and garlic; cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add corn and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Allow to cool, add cheese; set aside.
5. Make an incision the length of each chili and remove the stems
and seeds.
5. Stuff corn filling into chilies; close with a toothpick.
6. In a large deep skillet, pour oil until half-full. Heat over
medium heat until hot.
7.Dredge chilies in remaining flour, shake off excess, dip in
batter, and fry until golden, 1 minute per side.
8. Drain on paper towels; season with salt.
9.Place on large dish and serve with sour cream and lime wedge.
- From Food Network's Follow That Food
Per serving: 630 calories, 17 grams protein, 79 grams
carbohydrates, 9 grams sugar, 27 grams fat, 20 milligrams
cholesterol, 850 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber.
Chile Verde
Makes 15 servings
30 Anaheim chilies, roasted
5 pounds pork shoulder
4 medium onions, sliced
10 whole garlic cloves, crushed 4 bay leaves
4 tablespoons dried oregano
3 (8-ounce) cans whole
tomatoes, crushed by hand
4 cups chicken broth
Salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Fresh cilantro leaves, for
garnish
1. Peel and crush roasted Anaheim chilies; set aside.
2. Remove fat from pork shoulder; cut fat into small pieces. In a
large pan over medium-high heat, fry the fat until crisp, 4 or 5
minutes; remove fat from pan.
3.In the same saute pan, cook the onions and garlic until they
release their juices.
4. Cut pork shoulder into 1/4-inch pieces and add them to the
pan; saute until browned.
5. Add bay leaves, oregano, tomatoes and Anaheim chilies. Simmer
over low heat 25 minutes. Add water, chicken broth, and salt, to
taste.
6. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 2 hours or until tender.
7. Slowly add flour in small amounts until the mixture has
reached desired thickness; do not exceed 1/4 cup flour.
8. If desired, return the crispy fat to the mixture to add
additional pork flavor.
9.Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
-
Food Nation With Bobby Flay
Per serving: 286 calories, 31 grams protein, 12 grams
carbohydrates, 2 grams sugar, 12 grams fat, 101 milligrams
cholesterol, 988 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.
Habaņero Lime Cheesecake
Makes 16 servings
Crust:
11/2 cups wheat-meal biscuits or (26 graham cracker squares),
ground to crumbs Pinch salt
1/3 cup melted butter
Filling:
3 habaņero peppers
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 cup
24 ounces cream cheese
Pinch of salt
4 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 lime, zested
1 very juicy or 2 less juicy limes, juiced
1 lime sliced thinly, for garnish
1 whole habaņero, for garnish
1.Heat oven to 400 degrees and position top rack in the center of
the oven.
2.Mix crumbs and salt in a small bowl, add butter, stir to mix,
and set aside 1/4 cup for topping. Press rest into bottom and
sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
3. Turn on stove exhaust fan. Skewer and roast the habaņeros over
an open flame (gas burner is fine) and set them to steam under a
towel.
4. When the habaņeros are cool enough to handle, put on plastic
gloves. Peel habaņeros and remove seeds.
5.Pound in a mortar with 2 tablespoons of sugar until a coarse
paste forms.
6. Cream the cream cheese with remaining sugar and salt, and then
beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended.
7. Add cream and blend, then beat zest and lime juice into
mixture.
8. Add habaņero paste; beat until well mixed. Pour into crust and
gently tap pan to level filling. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top.
9. Place a baking pan on the oven's lower rack and fill to 2/3
full with boiling water. Place the cheesecake on the rack above
it and bake for 1 hour or until the cheesecake pulls away from
the edge of the pan.
10. Remove from oven and allow to set 20 minutes. Wrap and keep
in refrigerator overnight, or in freezer 2 to 3 hours.
11. Garnish, if desired, with slices of lime. Place a whole
habaņero in the center.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linda
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Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me - I want
people to know WHY I look this way: I've traveled a long way and
some of the roads weren't paved.