Serves: 4
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the rellenos
- 4 large fresh poblano peppers
- 200 g Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella cheese, grated
- ½ cup plain flour
- 4 large eggs, separated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- Vegetable oil, for frying
To serve:
- South Devon Chilli Farm Hot Honey
- ½ cup tomato salsa or roasted tomato sauce
- Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Optional: crumbled queso fresco or feta
Method
1. Roast the poblanos
Place the poblanos directly under a very hot grill/broiler, turning occasionally, until the skins are heavily blistered and blackened all over — about 8–12 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with a plate or cling film. Leave for 10 minutes to steam.
Carefully peel away the loose skins. Make a slit lengthwise in each pepper and remove the seeds, keeping the peppers as intact as possible.
2. Stuff them
Fill each poblano with about 50 g of cheese. Don't overstuff them — you want to be able to close the slit.
Use toothpicks to secure the opening if necessary.
3. Make the batter
Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with a little salt.
Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with the remaining salt until they form stiff peaks. In another bowl, lightly beat the yolks, then gently fold them into the whites. The mixture should remain light and fluffy.
4. Coat and fry
Heat about 2–3 cm of vegetable oil in a large frying pan to 175–180°C.
Lightly dust each stuffed poblano with flour, then carefully coat it in the egg batter.
Lower each pepper into the hot oil and fry for about 2–3 minutes per side, turning gently, until puffed and deeply golden.
Don't overcrowd the pan — work in batches if necessary.
Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels and season lightly with salt.
5. Serve
Spoon warm tomato salsa onto four plates and place a crispy relleno on top.
Drizzle generously with the hot honey, then finish with chopped coriander and a squeeze of lime. Add a little queso fresco or feta if you like.
