Shrimp and Corn Rellenos
A traditional Latin American finger food gets a serious upgrading: Anaheim chilies are stuffed with a corn, shrimp, and cheese filling, then coated, fried, and served with cilantro sour cream and golden tomato sauce. Rattlesnake bean relish provides the final touch. If red chili corn tortillas are not available in your markets, substitute yellow corn tortillas plus 1 teaspoon paprika. To make ancho chili powder, toast two ancho chilies at 250 F for 20 minutes, then remove the stem and seeds and grind the pods into a fine powder in a spice grinder.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter - 2 2/12 tablespoons
- Onion - 1/2 cup, minced
- Jalapeno Chilies - 1, seeded and minced
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Corn Kernels - 3/4 cup fresh or frozen
- Shrimp - 4 ounces, peeled, deveined, and chopped
- Basil - 1 tablespoon, chopped, fresh
- Cilantro - 1 tablespoon, chopped, fresh
- Chihuahua Cheese - 1/4 cup (3 ounces), grated (alt. Monterey jack cheese)
- White Goat Cheese - 1/4 cup, crumbled fresh
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Cilantro Sour Cream
- Safflower (canola) oil - 2 tablespoons
- Shallots - 3, minced
- Garlic Clove - 1, minced
- Cilantro Leaves - 1/4 cup, fresh, chopped
- Water - 2 tablespoons
- Sour Cream - 1/4 cup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Sugar - 1 tablespoon, or to taste
- Tortilla Crust
- Peanut oil for frying
- Red Chili corn tortillas (see headnote) - 4
- Flour - 3 tablespoons
- Ancho Chili Powder (see headnote) - 2 tablespoons
- Shallots - 2, roughly chopped
- Jalapeno Chilies - 1, with or without seeds
- Cilantro - 2 tablespoons, minced, fresh
- White Bread Crumbs - 2 tablespoons, dried
- All-Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup, unbleached
- Eggs - 2
- Buttermilk - 1/4 cup
- Anaheim Chilies - 6, roasted and peeled but left whole
- Peanut oil for frying
- Garnish
- Rattlesnake Bean Relish (recipe follows)
- Cilantro Sprigs - 6, fresh
- Rattlesnake Bean Relish
- Rattlesnake Beans - 2 cups, dried (alt. pinto beans)
- Chicken Stock - 6 cups
- Red Onion - 1/2 cup, minced
- Red Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup, minced
- Yellow Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup, finely chopped
- Jalapeno Chilies - 1, seeded and minced
- Cilantro - 2 tablespoons, chopped fresh
- Lime Juice - 1/2 cup, fresh
- Vegetable Oil - 1/4 cup
- Tabasco - 1/4 teaspoon (alt.other hot pepper sauce)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the filling: In a large saute pan or skillet over high heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and jalapeno until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the corn and shrimp and saute until the shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes. Add the basil and cilantro and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cheeses and season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill completely before using.
To make the cilantro sour cream: In a small saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat the oil and saute the shallots and garlic until they are translucent, about 2 minutes. Place the contents of the pan in a blender, add the cilantro and water, and blend until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add the sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put in a squeeze bottle and set aside.
To make the golden tomato sauce: In a large saucepan over high heat, melt two tablespoons of the butter and saute the tomatoes, shallot, and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lime juice and chicken stock, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and simmer another 3 to 5 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in chunks. Strain the sauce and add sugar as necessary to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Set aside and keep warm.
To make the tortilla crust: In a deep saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 inch of peanut oil to almost smoking and fry the tortillas until they are very crisp, turning once or twice. Remove from the oil with tongs, drain on paper towels, and set aside to cool. In a blender or food processor, combine the flour, ancho powder, shallots, jalapeno, and cilantro. Crumble the tortillas and add them to the blender or processor with the breadcrumbs. Process until the mixture is evenly crushed.
To assemble the rellenos: Place the crust ingredients in a shallow bowl. Place the flour in another shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the buttermilk. Slit each roasted chili completely down on side, remove the seeds, and fill with some of the filling; depending on the size of the chili, it may not cover the filling completely. Lightly dust a relleno with flour, then dip it into the egg wash. Place the relleno in the crust mixture and use your hands to press and pack the crust over the relleno. Repeat until all the rellenos are coated.
To finish the rellenos: In a large deep saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 inch of peanut oil until it begins to smoke. Fry the rellenos, turning gently and only as often as necessary to completely brown them on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the rellenos on paper towels.
To serve: Spread a circle of tomato sauce in the center of each serving plate. Scribble cilantro sour cream across the sauce. Place a relleno in the center of each plate and spoon rattlesnake bean relish over the top. Garnish the plates with cilantro sprigs.
Rattlesnake Bean Relish - Makes 3 cups
Pick over the beans to remove any stones. Rinse the beans and soak them in water to cover for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans. In a large saucepan, combine the beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the beans and place them in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
