Chili Rellenos with Corn

Photo by Katy Lonergan

by Anne Halsted

serves 8

8 poblano peppers
1 cup vegetable oil
2 ears corn
2 tablespoons butter
1 white onion, chopped
l pint queso fresco or crème fraîche
½ pound grated jack or cheddar cheese

Prepare baking pan large enough to accommodate peppers - about the size of a pie pan - by spraying it with oil. Heat oven to 350° F.

Trim the peppers by making a slit in the side of each one and removing the seeds with a spoon or knife.

Heat vegetable oil and dip each pepper into it for about a minute to blister the skin. Immediately transfer the blistered pepper to ice water. When cooled, transfer the peppers to paper towels to drain. Then rub the outsides of the peppers with paper towels to remove the blistered skin.

Cut the corn kernels from the cobs. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet, add the chopped onion, and cook till translucent. Then add the corn, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Fill each pepper with the corn mixture, plus 1 teaspoon of the queso fresco or crème fraîche. Arrange the stuffed peppers in the pie plate. Put a large dollop of queso fresco or crème fraîche on each pepper.

Bake the peppers for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the cheese on the peppers, and cook till cheese is melted.

These are delicious as a first course, or as a starch/vegetable with a meal. I started making these when I had an excess of poblano peppers in the garden, and people seemed to love them.