Tuesday, August 23, 2011

CHILES, PARTE I

I've decided to do a study of dried chiles.  (Retirement must be wearing on me).  As you may know, fresh chiles have different names when they're dried, and maybe more than one.  I have trouble keeping these names in my age-riddled mature and information-filled brain.  To add to the confusion, there are different names for chiles in different parts of Mexico and Latin America.

Below we have the dried ancho (or pasilla), or poblano when they're fresh and green.  When poblanos are allowed to ripen on the vine and then dried, they are called mulatos, which have a darker and sweeter flavor.  You see the problem.


I put three of them in about two cups of boiling water, turned off the burner and let them soak for 10 minutes.  Then I blended them with three cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and a little cumin along with some of the water they were cooked in.  I added enough water to get the consistency I wanted for a dip or salsa.


Here's the finished product.  I find the bright red color and thick consistency amazing, given what I started out with.  It's delicious and not too hot.


Guajillos coming up.

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