Authentic New Mexican Hatch Chiles are in stores NOW, and only for a very limited time! These chiles are named after Hatch, New Mexico, where they are grown in the heart of Mesilla Valley. The intense sunlight and cool nights give this chile it's mild-medium heat and unique fruity flavor, which I adore! These chiles are the epitome of New Mexican cuisine. Once roasted and peeled, they are perfect for chiles rellenos, added to eggs, thrown in soups and stews, stirred in cornbread, delicious additions to enchiladas and tacos, and are essential for the distinguished green chile cheeseburger! (A staple in my house!) Truly, the sky's the limit when cooking with these phenomenal chiles!
Because of their very limited availability, most hatch chile enthusiasts roast their chiles in LARGE batches (like 10 pounds or more!), peel, de-seed and freeze them for an entire year's supply! Do I do this? Absolutely! I've been buying them up as fast as I can! When purchasing, look for a bright green color, smooth firm skin, a symmetrical shape (if possible), and a bit heavy for their size. For a few chiles, I use my stove-top gas burner (see Techniques, scroll to the very bottom, it was the first technique I posted!), but for large quantities, I fire-up my grill! Not only does the smell of chiles roasting over an open flame make my heart sing, it adds an authentic smokey flavor, and is the traditional method used in New Mexico! (If you don't own a grill, you can also roast them under your broiler in the oven.) So, make some room in your freezer, grab your car keys, and run, don't walk!
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Roasting and Freezing New Mexican Hatch Chiles
Ingredients:
As many Hatch chiles you can find!
Plastic wrap
Quart and gallon-size freezer bags (depending on how many chiles you want to preserve)
Directions:
Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high heat. Once the grill is very hot, place the chiles over direct heat, turning occasionally until the skins are blackened and blistered. (If there are any green spots, the skin won't come off.)
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When nice and roasted, place the chiles in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam and cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove them to a cutting board. Pull out the seed pod and with a knife, cut the chiles in half, scrape off the blistered skin and scrape out the seeds.
Once all your chiles are ready, lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Lay one chile at the end, fold over the plastic wrap, lay another chile on top, fold over the plastic over, lay another chile on top, and continue until you have about 6 chiles nicely packaged. (Layering with the plastic makes it easy to remove one chile at a time, as desired.) Place in a freezer bag and remove any excess air. Once you have all your chiles snuggly packaged, place all the freezer bags into a gallon-size freezer bag, squeeze out any excess air, and freeze to use whenever you like. Thaw before using.
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When nice and roasted, place the chiles in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam and cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove them to a cutting board. Pull out the seed pod and with a knife, cut the chiles in half, scrape off the blistered skin and scrape out the seeds.
Once all your chiles are ready, lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Lay one chile at the end, fold over the plastic wrap, lay another chile on top, fold over the plastic over, lay another chile on top, and continue until you have about 6 chiles nicely packaged. (Layering with the plastic makes it easy to remove one chile at a time, as desired.) Place in a freezer bag and remove any excess air. Once you have all your chiles snuggly packaged, place all the freezer bags into a gallon-size freezer bag, squeeze out any excess air, and freeze to use whenever you like. Thaw before using.
