Goat Cheese Rellenos
This dish is emblematic of the way chefs transform traditional fare — chilies rellenos, traditionally fried with American cheese, here dressed up with a creamy goat cheese filling. The chilies may be roasted and stuffed up to two days in advance and kept covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. The salsa can be made up to 6 hours in advance.
Ingredients
- Chilies
- Anaheim or Poblano Chilies - 12
- Garlic Cloves - 2
- Goat Cheese - 1/2 pound, mild, crumbled, at room temperature
- Monterey Jack cheese - 1/2 pound, grated
- Shallots - 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Sun-dried tomatoes - 2 small pieces, oil-packed, minced
- Fresh Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped
- Fresh basil - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Fresh Marjoram - 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Thyme Sprigs - 2, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Egg - 1
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 2 tablespoons
- Blue cornmeal - for dredging (substitute: yellow cornmeal)
- Oil for deep frying
- Salsa
- Shallots - 2, finely minced
- Champagne Vinegar - 1/4 cup
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Tomatoes - 1, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- Jalapeno or Serrano Chili - 1, seeded and chopped
- Fresh Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped
- Fresh basil - 1/4 cup, chopped
- Fresh Thyme - 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Fresh Marjoram - 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Garnish
- Ripe Avocadoes - 3
- Salad savory (purple kale) or radicchio leaves - 6
Instructions
To prepare the chilies: Roast and peel the chilies. Carefully slice them down one side and remove the seeds, leaving the stem attached. Set aside.
Blanch the garlic in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, peel, and chop finely.
In a bowl, combine the garlic with the crumbled goat cheese, Monterey jack, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, basil, marjoram, and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and shape into 12 roll-shaped pieces about the size of the chilies. Gently insert the cheese rolls into the chilies, being careful not to overfill. Close the chilies, securing with toothpicks, and refrigerate until needed.
To finish the chilies: Beat the egg into the cream and coat the filled chilies with the mixture. Dredge the chilies in the blue cornmeal.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan until hot, 375 F. Fry the chilies until they are lightly browned. Remove them and drain well on paper towels. Remove the toothpicks.
To make the salsa: Whisk the shallots in the vinegar. Add the oil slowly, continuing to whisk, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Let rest for 15 minutes.
To serve: Peel and halve the avocados. Remove the pits. Cut each half into a fan and set on one side of each serving plate. Place 2 chilies on the corner and spoon the salsa into a lettuce leaf cup on the other side of the plate.
