There are several recipes in my rotation that call for diced green chiles. I always buy them by the can, and really hadn't considered any other option. Experimenting with some new recipes encouraged me to try roasting my own. I can't believe how easy the process was, and how tasty the results are. Give 'em a try! You might never look back.
You'll Need:
Anaheim Chile Peppers {you choose the quantity based on your recipe; six large peppers resulted in about two cups of coarsely chopped, roast chiles}
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Wash chiles and remove excess water.
Place a single layer of chiles on your baking sheet, and place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until peppers just begin to look dark in places.
To Prepare for Recipes:
Allow the chiles to cool enough that you can comfortably work with them.
Working on a cutting board, remove both ends from the pepper with a sharp knife.
Run the knife down the length of the pepper, so that you have two long, rectangular pieces.
Open the pieces, then use a spoon to scrape the seeds and membrane from the pepper.
Flip the pieces over, peeling the paper-like skin away to discard. It will likely come off in one big piece.
If your recipe calls for diced chiles, use your knife to chop the pieces as you'd like.
A note... anaheim's are typically pretty mild on the heat scale. The batch I used in creating this post was quite spicy! I didn't wear gloves or anything, because I wasn't working with a 'hot' chile, and was surprised to find that I could feel a bit of a burn on my hands for several hours afterward. This wasn't a problem for me, and remedied itself, but! if you've got particularly sensitive skin, a pair of gloves might be a good idea. Use your own best judgement!
I use diced chilies ALL the time. This is a neat idea and does look quite easy. I could also see it as being something you might be able to make batches of ahead of time. Think they might freeze alright? Maybe if your froze them separately on a cookie sheet first so they don't become one big lump of chili?
ReplyDeleteFreezing them is a great idea! If you plan to use the previously frozen chiles in warm dishes, like soup or stew, what about freezing small portions in an ice cube tray? Pop the frozen cubes out, store them in a freezer-safe container, and then take out a few cubes at a time. They'll be small enough do thaw quickly that way.
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