By Julie Etra
This recipe has no particular ethnicity or origin but is really a fairly simple quiche that uses poblano chilies instead of flour for the crust. It is not spicy as in ‘hot’ or ‘picante’ but the poblanos lend a smoky, rich flavor, and crunchy texture. Every time I have made it has been a hit, and can be served hot or cold, and garnished with your favorite salsa or eaten plain. The only trick is matching quantities with your pie plate, and you definitely want to use a pie plate as when the peppers are roasted, pealed, split open with seeds and membranes removed, they are then placed in the pan with the stem or wide end along the rim, and narrow end towards the center, just like a slice of pie. Add more or less onion and garlic, according to your palette.
For a deep-dish pie pan (9.5-10”) you will need:
- 1 TB butter to grease the pan
- 8-10 large poblanos, roasted, halved, with seeds, stems, and membranes removed
- 6 whole eggs, beaten
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2-3 TB grated onion
- 2-4 minced garlic cloves
- 1 lb + 2 oz grated mild, firm cheese such as Monterrey Jack, Manchego, or Chihuahua
- Salt and fresh grated pepper to taste
- Roast and prepare the peppers
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Butter the pie plate
- Line the sides and bottom of the dish with the peppers, placing the wider stem ends toward the outside edge of the plate and overlapping the pieces slightly. Cut any remaining chilies into wide strips and use to fill any spaces in the crust so the filling won’t leak.
- In a bowl, mix together the cream, onion, garlic, salt, and cheese. Add the eggs, mix to combine, and pour over the chili crust. If you are in a warm climate add the cheese last, so it does not start to clump.
- Cover the outside edge of the crust with a strip of foil. Bake about 45 minutes, or until firm and slightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and cut off any burned edges with scissors. Slice, and serve hot or at room temp.
Optional: Sprinkle with diced jalapenos before baking.