Tomates Rellenos Recipes

TOMATES RELLENOS - TAPAS

Steps:

• Cut the tops off the tomatoes and maybe a slice off the bottom so you can stand them flat.
• Remove the insides of the tomatoes with a spoon or knife.
• Mix the eggs, aioli, salt, pepper and parsley.
• Fill the tomatoes. Replace the tops, sprinkle with some olive oil and black pepper.
• tips: if the mixture seems too soft you might have to add some bread crumbs. If you are using mayonnaise instead of aioli, season it with garlic.

TOMATES RELLENOS

Steps:

• Skin the tomatoes, first by cutting out the core with a sharp knife and making a '+' incision on the other end of the tomato. Then place in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, remove and plunge into a bowl of iced or very cold water (this latter step is to stop the tomatoes from cooking and going mushy).
• Slice the tops off the tomatoes, and just enough of their bases to remove the rounded ends so that they will sit squarely on the plate. Keep the tops if using small tomatoes, but discard those large tomatoes. Remove the seeds and insides, either with a teaspoon or small, sharp knife.
• Mash the eggs with the allioli -or the mayonnaise, if using- salt, pepper and parsley. Stuff the tomatoes, firmly pressing the filling down. With small tomatoes, replace the lids at a jaunty angle. If keeping to serve later, brush them with olive oil and black pepper to prevent them from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and keep.
• For large tomatoes, the filling must be firm enough to be sliced. If you make your own mayonnaise, thicken it by using more egg yolks. If you use shop-bought mayonnaise or allioli, add white breadcrumbs until the mixture reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes.
• Season. Fill the tomatoes, pressing down firmly until level. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then slice with a sharp carving knife into rings. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

TOMATO RELLENOS

Steps:

• Bring water, rice, salt and bay leaf to a boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff with fork. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut 1 inch slice from top of each tomato; reserve tops. Working over bowl to catch juices, remove pulp from tomatoes, leaving shell intact. Strain seeds from juices. Finely chop tomato pulp and reserve with juices. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno and cloves and stir 1 minute. Add reserved tomato pulp and juices. Stir until most of liquid evaporates. Stir in cilantro, almonds, currants and rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes in individual ramekins. Divide filling among tomatoes. Top each with tomato top. Brush tomatoes with oil. Place ramekins on baking sheet. Bake until tomatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

REAL CHILES RELLENOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the peppers onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 8 to 10 minutes per side. When the peppers are about 80 percent blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins. To reduce spiciness, rinse out any remaining seeds with water. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels.
• Mix together the shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks. Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• To make sauce, blend the stewed tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cinnamon. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce until reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C), and warm a platter in the oven.
• To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter. Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter.
• Heat frying oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side. Remove peppers to warmed platter while you finish frying. To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce. Serve peppers hot with a dollop of sour cream.