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Fillings Cheese filling.
Stuff each chile with a piece of jack cheese about 1/2 inch wide,
1/2 inch thick, and 1 inch shorter than the chile. (Use a total of about
1/2 pound of jack cheese)
Picadillo filling.
Lightly toast 1/4 cup slivered almonds in 1 tablespoon butter or
margarine in a frying pan over medium heat; remove almonds. Brown 1/2
pound lean ground beef in remaining butter. Add 1 minced or pressed
clove garlic, 1/4 cup tomato puree, 1/4 cup seedless raisins, 2
tablespoons dry sherry, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt,
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar,
and the almonds. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or
until most liquid has evaporated. Cool. Fill each chile with about 2
teaspoons of filling.
Thin and crispy coating.
Separate 5 eggs. Beat egg whites with 1 teaspoon salt until they
hold firm, soft peaks. Using same beater, or a whip, beat egg yolks
until thick; fold yolks into whites and use immediately.\
Heat about 1/4 inch salad oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat.
coat chili all over with egg batter and use two forks to remove from
batter. (If fresh chiles are used, hold each by its stem and just dip
into batter, canned chiles have no such handy stems.)
Fry in hot oil just as many at one time as can be done without
crowding. When each is golden brown on one side, turn over with a
spatula and fork or two spatulas) and fry until golden on the other
side. Remove and drain briefly on paper towels.
Puffy coating.
Separate 3 eggs. Beat whites until they form soft peaks. Beat yolks
with 1 tablespoon water, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 1/4
teaspoon salt until thick and creamy; fold into whites.
Heat about 1-1/2 inches of salad oil in a wide frying pan over medium
heat. Dip stuffed chilies into the fluffy batter, place on a saucer, and
slide lint hot oil. When bottoms are golden brown, gently turn using a
spatula and fork, and cook other side (3 to 4 minutes per side). Drain
on paper towels.
Omelet-like coating.
Separate 4 eggs. Beat whites until they form soft peaks. Beat egg
yolks with 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon water, and 1/4
teaspoon salt. Fold into whites.
Over medium heat, melt enough butter to coat bottom of omelet pan or
frying pan. Make an oval mound of about 1/2cup of the mixture. (You can
cook each in a small omelet pan or 2 or 3 at a time in a wide frying
pan.) Quickly lay a stuffed chile in center of mound and spoon about 1/3
cup mixture over top to encase chili. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes; gently
turn and cook for 2 or 3 minutes longer, or until golden.
Salsa de jitomate.
In a frying pan over medium heat, cook 3 tablespoons finely chopped
onion and 1 minced or pressed clove of garlic in 1 tablespoon butter or
margarine until golden. Stir in 1 can (15 oz.) Spanish-style tomato
sauce, 1/3 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon saltl, and 1/4 teaspoon oregano
leaves, crumbled. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Makes
2-1/2 cups.
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