The Starving Artist : Chile Poblano Hortelano on Mother's Day

::It was very pleasant to savor its aroma, for smells have the power to evoke the past, bringing back sounds and even other smells that have no match in the present.:: Like Water for Chocolate 

If it were up to me, puff pastry dough would be wrapped about everything edible.  It is absolute heaven!  Some months back friends and I took a tour of Mercado Lucas de Galvez, the main market in the Centro Historico section of Mérida.  Our market tour guide, Rosa, led us to a bakery supply shop in the Arco Portico just East of the market.   This is where you will find Masa de Hojaldrea (puff pastry), kilo bars of chocolate and baker goods.  When I returned on my own I mistakenly asked for pasta de hojaldre, which are the baked goodies filled with ham and cheese, and thus was directed to a bakery a few doors down.  Subsequently, I've been told the dough can be found in kilo bags at Costco.  If you want to make your own there is a nearly perfect post on What's Cooking, Mexico.  The writer gives you the alternative to substitute lard for butter, and I suspect that most of the dough we purchase in Mérida contains lard.  Ahhh, NO!  Puff Pastry is a French invention and as such BUTTER is a must for this native New Orleanian.  Fortunately, I had enough leftover dough from Mamère's King Cake to prepare this simple Central Mexico dish.  

Cassandra Bistro - Bar : Chile Poblano Hortlano with Chef Chad Seals
Servings : 4

Ingredients

• Masa de Hojaldre (puff pastry dough) 

• 4 chile poblano peppers

• 1/2 c of each cheese: Edam, Parmesan and Oaxaca

• 1 egg, whisked

• 1 Tbl olive oil

Don't begin with preheating your oven.  These days, the heat of Mérida will turn you into a Hot Mess.  

I called upon my good friend, Chad Seals, for assistance with the peppers.  This Indiana boy has been traveling all across Mexico learning to prepare the cuisine from the experts.  I offer you two ways of preparing the poblano peppers: Sandra, the owner of Cassandra's Bristro Bar, suggested placing them in the microwave.  The alternative that Chad offered was to braise them over an open flame on the stove.  Once braised, place them inside a ziplock baggie.  This will seal in the smokey flavor and allow you to easily remove the thin outer membrane.  Chad advises to "roast until the skin pops and blackens a bit, seal in a plastic bag for about 10-12 mins. and peel the skin. Remember, sometimes it's easier to use a towel to scrape away the skin."
 
Before carding the seeds, cut one 6" x 6" square of puff pastry to fully envelope each pepper.  You can see that mine are not completely wrapped as I was using leftover dough. Place the sheets of dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to wrap the peppers.  Prep the cheese.   Sometimes you have to be okay with substituting.  In the case of the Oaxaca cheese, I used some lovely goat cheese that I purchased from the Slow Food Market.  In combination with the smokey braised poblano peppers, it added a touch of delicate wildness to the overall taste.  Card the seeds from the peppers, stuff them with the cheese mixture and brush them with olive oil.  Now, pour yourself a glass of wine because it is about to get hot!  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), wrap the peppers in the dough and bake for approximately 20 minutes. 

Holy Smack these are delicious! 

Create the life you want!

The Broad

*Recipe provided by Sandra, former owner of Cassandra's Bristro Bar.
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