Roasting Green (Hatch) Chiles
hatch chiles
Hatch chiles are coming into harvest here in New Mexico, and I picked up a small amount to try from this grower before I go pick up the 30 LB bag this week. Almost every meal we have is either topped with or has green chile in it. And getting fresh chiles is the best.
When you go get a 30 LB bag, generally you can have the chiles roasted on site, and can deal with dividing them up and freezing them.
But if you just want to try this for a few, here you go. I also used this technique for roasting standard red bell peppers.
I just wash and dry the chiles, and throw them on the grill on high heat, and turn frequently until they are blackened. Be careful if you try this, occasionally a chile will pop, and trust me you don’t want to get this in your eyes.
Once they are blackened, place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, letting them steam in their own heat for 15 minutes to a half hour.
roasted skin of the chile steamed
Please, please, at this point wear surgical gloves while handling the chiles. I had to find this out the hard way. That’s another story, an embarrassing story, for another time.
Now there are a couple ways to go about this.
You can leave the skins on, and freeze them right away in a freezer bag. Then follow instructions below when you want to use them and they have thawed.
You should be able to peel off the skin off in large pieces/strips, or under cool running water helps the process along. Open the chile, and remove the seeds and veins. Then use the chiles as you wish.
