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El Cholo's chiles rellenos

Time1 hour 20 minutes
YieldsServes 6
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Dear SOS: I grew up loving the chiles rellenos from El Cholo. I remember going to the Western Avenue location as a kid when it still looked more like a house than a restaurant. Nowadays, I go to the Santa Monica location more often than the downtown location. Both serve the fluffiest, most satisfying rellenos I have ever eaten. It’s the standard by which I judge all others. If you could coax the recipe from them, I would love to try to make them at home.

Gayle Endo

Rancho Park

Dear Gayle: These chiles rellenos, from one of Los Angeles’ most venerable Mexican restaurants, have an avid following all their own. The trick with that extra-fluffy coating lies in El Cholo’s method: A little of the whipped egg batter is fried on its own until set, then a stuffed chile is gently laid over; more batter is spooned over the chile, then it is flipped and fried to golden perfection. Drizzle a spoonful of the rich and slightly tangy relleno sauce over the top to complete this signature dish.

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Relleno sauce

1

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Stir in the garlic, oregano, onion, vinegar, bell pepper, tomatoes (and their juice), chiles and broth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the black pepper, bay leaves and salt to taste.

2

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened and the tomatoes start to break apart, about 25 minutes.

3

Remove from heat, discard the bay leaves, and mash the tomatoes with a potato masher or whisk until you have a coarse sauce. Season again to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

Chiles rellenos

1

Divide the cheese into 6 mounds and roll each mound into a football-shaped ball with your hands. Slit each chile lengthwise halfway and gently stuff a ball of cheese into each. Set aside.

2

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, 4 to 6 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until frothy. Gently fold the yolks into the whites to complete your egg batter.

3

In a large skillet or frying pan, add enough oil to come up the sides by one-half inch. Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted reads 350 degrees.

4

Gently spoon a little egg batter into the pan, spreading it so it is roughly the dimensions of one side of a stuffed chile. As soon as the batter begins to set, 1 to 2 minutes, lay a chile over the top, then spread an equivalent amount of batter over the chile.

5

Turn over the chile relleno and fry an additional 1 to 2 minutes until golden on all sides. Remove the chile relleno with a slotted spatula or spoon, and place on a warm plate. Repeat until you have 6 chiles rellenos.

6

Spoon one-half cup sauce over each chile relleno and serve immediately.

Adapted from El Cholo.