Chile Relleno in Puff Pastry

Chiles rellenos are most commonly coated with a light egg batter and fried. I tried something different, encasing stuffed poblanos in puff pastry and baking them. I brushed the pastry with an egg wash and sprinkled them with toasted sesame seeds before baking. Served in a pool of thick fresh tomato sauce.



This dish epitomizes for me the alta cocina mexicana or high-end Mexican cooking, which represents a range of Mexican cultural influences, especially the French, whose short invasion had a profound culinary impact. Dishes like cuitlacoche crepes are another great example. Unfortunately, I'm forced to use the canned cuitlacoche since it is too dry here for it to grow. Anyone know a mail-order source for fresh cuitlacoche or huitlacoche or, less appealing in English: corn smut.

Bill/SFNM

Bill,
Looks delicious, although very non-trad.
I've had chiles rellenos in a variety of forms, from very omelet-like to tempura-like, and they're all good (except when they're overly greasy, and even that can be good in its own way).

I grew cuitlacoche/huitlacoche once... before I knew what it was. I'd planted about 20sf of corn in my backyard garden. Few of the stalks even developed ears (common, as corn needs a dense population for polination), and those that did developed these black, swolen fungal kernels. This was about a year before I'd even heard of huitlacoche.

I'd had better luck on another year, growing a fair amount of popcorn, but that year it was all smut. I've given up on corn since, sticking to basic salsa ingredients: tomatillos, tomatoes, chiles and cilantro.

Well, it is only my second post to the forum at all, and I hope this is taken in the fun light in which it is intended...how coincidental that I saw this link yesterday and can post it in response to this thread today:

http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/ca ... eat_it.php

Page down to Vol 7 for some good laughs on the product you are looking for (the rest of it is pretty darn funny, too!). Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations for you. Best of luck in your search!

Christine

christine wrote:Well, it is only my second post to the forum at all, and I hope this is taken in the fun light in which it is intended...how coincidental that I saw this link yesterday and can post it in response to this thread today:

http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/ca ... eat_it.php

Page down to Vol 7 for some good laughs on the product you are looking for (the rest of it is pretty darn funny, too!).

The Sneeze wrote:If you're having trouble with the pronounciation, it's: Cuitlacoche (kweet-lah-KOH-chay) or Huitlacoche (dat-sfuckin-NAS-tee).

ROTFLMAO!!!!

Erik M.

christine wrote:http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php

Someone send that man some silkworm chrysalises!

My favorite "I can't believe this stuff" store is a place called MacFrugal's which is now part of Big Lots.

My favorite item (one developed by some MBA) was Folger's ULTRA. Great idea. 6oz of Folgers ULTRA makes the same as 1#. Worked for Joy, Tide and a lot of other P&G products.

Bill,

When were were at Chuck's Cafe last week Chuck brought out a bag of frozen huitlacoche.



I have no idea where Chuck procured his bag-o-smut, but knowing him <insert off-color remark here>

There is contact info on Chuck's web site, I suggest a call rather than email.

Chiles rellenos looked delicious!

Enjoy,
Gary

Sorry, got sidetracked by volume 5....

If black lung tasted as good, I might eat it as well. btw, from your Green Market last summer: