Rajas Poblanas con Crema y Elote
Rajas Poblanas con Crema y Elote·(rah-has poh-blah-nas kon kreh-mah ee eh-loh-teh)
Guisados de Martes (Quick Weeknight Skillets & 'A La Mexicana' Magic)
If you grew up in a Mexican-American household, the smell of poblano peppers blistering on an open flame is the smell of a Tuesday night. This is the ultimate comfort food—strips of smoky, earthy peppers swimming in a rich, savory cream sauce dotted with sweet pops of corn. A lot of recipes try to fancy this up, but grandma knew the rules: char the life out of the peppers, let them sweat in a plastic bag, and whatever you do, do not rinse them under the sink. We are leaning on the exact, unapologetic techniques used in Puebla for generations, utilizing ingredients you can easily grab at the supermarket. Serve this scooped into warm tortillas, and taste home.
Ingredients
- fresh poblano peppers4 large
- vegetable oil1 tbsp
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- white onion1 large
- garlic2 clove
- sweet corn kernels1 cup
- Crema Mexicana1 cup
- chicken bouillon powder1 tsp
- Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Char the life out of the peppers.
Turn your gas burners on medium-high and place the poblano peppers directly on the metal grates, rotating them with metal tongs until the skin blisters, pops, and turns completely black all over. If you have an electric stove, a dry skillet over screaming high heat or a run under the oven broiler works too.
- 02
Let the peppers sweat in their own steam.
Immediately transfer the hot, charred peppers into a plastic grocery bag or a tightly covered bowl, sealing it up to let them steam for 10 to 15 minutes to unglue the tough skin from the flesh.
- 03
Peel and slice the poblanos without rinsing them.
Using the back of a knife or your fingers, gently scrape off the blackened skin. Do not run them under water, or you will wash away all that hard-earned smoky flavor. Slice the peppers open, remove the stems, seeds, and inner veins, then slice the flesh into quarter-inch strips.
- 04
Sauté the aromatics gently.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter into the oil, then add the sliced onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Do not let it brown; we want it sweet and mellow. Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- 05
Build the guisado.
Toss the poblano strips and the corn into the skillet, tossing to coat the vegetables in the fat and letting them cook together for a couple of minutes.
- 06
Simmer with the crema and bouillon.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, pour in the Crema Mexicana, and sprinkle in the chicken bouillon powder. Let the mixture come to a very gentle simmer for 3 to 5 minutes—never a rolling boil—until the white cream takes on a beautiful pale green tint.
- 07
Melt the cheese into the skillet.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top, and cover the skillet with a lid for two minutes until it forms gooey puddles ready to be scooped up with warm tortillas.
Notes
The Dairy Dilemma.
If you cannot find a bottle of Crema Mexicana, do not just use straight sour cream—the lower fat and higher acidity means it will curdle in the pan. Whisk three-quarters of a cup of full-fat sour cream with a quarter cup of whole milk or heavy cream until smooth to mimic the real deal.
The Grandma Secret.
Powdered chicken bouillon is the undeniable, unapologetic secret of modern Mexican home kitchens. It provides a profound umami backbone that elevates the dish from a simple vegetable sauté to a deeply satisfying stew.
From Cook Mexican in America.