Chile heads -- and you know who you are -- get excited for the brief season in late summer when Hatch chiles from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico show up in stores.
If you look quick at the Morrocroft Harris Teeter on Saturday, you can get Hatches and get them roasted on site. The peppers will be available at all the Harris Teeter stores for $1.29 a pound "while supplies last" (no guess on how long that will be). The roaster moves around to different stores. It will be at the Morrocroft store Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (although they stop earlier if they run out of peppers).
Roasted peppers are $1.49 a pound, unless you buy case (25 pounds). Case price is $1.29 a pound -- they throw in the roasting for free.
So, what do people do with Hatch chiles? They're popular in dishes like chiles rellenos and green chile stews. Roasted chiles also do well frozen, so you can buy a bunch and use them through the winter.
Friends from the Southwest always get nostalgic about the smell of fresh chiles being roasted in the fall. It is one of those evocatic aromas.
PHOTO: Washington Post.
OK I have been to Hatch, NM, and I know these are the best chiles in the US...but how do I use them? These aren't the poblano chiles used in chiles rellenos, they look more like the green chiles you buy in a can and add to everything...is that right? Could you just freeze them in half-cup quantities and use as a replacement? Need some recipes.
ReplyDeleteWe'll be there to get some of these chiles! My husband is a great cook and will probably make some salsa verde with them, or as a sauce to go over enchiladas.
ReplyDeleteGreen chilis are good in regular chili, pork stew, for stuffing, to make green chili salsa and in enchiladas. Green chili pork stew is amazing!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I've been chasing other stories today. But I found this one on the website for the Hatch Valley Chile Festival (www.hatchchilefest.com):
ReplyDeleteMacho Chile Rellenos by Eloisa Mendez-Grand Prize winner in 1982
* 6 Hatch Valley Green Chiles
* 1/2 pound Monterey Jack Cheese
* 1/2 cup flour
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup oil
Roast chile, peel, leaving stem on the chile. Pat chile dry with paper towel. Cut a small slit on one side of each chile. Cut cheese into 6 long sticks. Place 1 stick of cheese into each chile. Beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff. Slightly beat egg yolks. Mix yolks with whites. Roll chile in flour then dip in egg mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden borwn. Drain on paper towels.