Before you start making enchiladas, fire roasting chiles is a great way to prepare poblano or Anaheim chiles. This technique also works well for Hatch Green Chiles.
Not all chiles work well for fire roasting. Some chiles such as chile Habanero, chile Serrano, or Jalepeños are too spicy and release fumes when roasted over a fire. Other chiles such as bell peppers have too much water and become messy when fire roasted over a stove top burner.
But chile poblano and Anaheim chiles can both be fire roasted directly on your gas burder without a problem. An electriic broiler also works wehn you have large amounts of chiles to roast.
Once you have roasted your chiles, they will be ready for making a batch of Green Enchiladas. Make sure you check our recipe on the blog!
The tools you will need for fire roasting is a good pair of metal tongs. Whether you decide to roast your chiles on the stove top or under the broiler, you should always use tongs when handling both dried or fresh chiles. Skin irritation can occur with repeated handling, so keep it safe by using a pair of tongs.
Fire roasting chiles does three things: First, the skin roasts and blackens, making it easier to peel it away. Simply take a knife and gently scrape the chile to remove the skin. Second, fire roasting cooks the chile quickly there is no need for boiling. Third, fire roasting gives a slightly smoky flavor to the chile which enhances the flavor.
Once the chiles are blackened and blistered, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel, and then in a paper bag. Allow them to rest for about 20 minutes, and then remove from the bag and towel. Scrape away the charred skin, and then remove the top and seeds of the chile. The fire roasted chile is now ready to incorporate into any dish!
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