Hot Chili

If there were such a thing as an upscale chili, it would have to be the poblano.

Dark green and elegantly flavored, the poblano chili turns up in Mexico in everything from rice and rajas to pozole and polenta. Its bold, distinctive pepper flavor stands up to intense seasonings, while its plump shape makes it ideal for stuffing. All of which should put the poblano high on any heat-loving cook’s shopping list.

In California, the poblano’s most visible guise is as the chili relleno. Although Anaheim chilies were long the standard for the dish, the poblano is taking over. No longer limited to restaurants that delve more deeply into authentic Mexican ingredients, they’re now used for rellenos by middlebrow establishments.

Once difficult to find, poblanos now are as abundant as all-purpose Anaheim chilies always have been. Yet unlike the Anaheim, which usually is mild, poblanos vary in heat, from moderate to something approaching jalapeno fire.

You can’t tell by looking at them; you have to taste them, best done after they have been roasted and peeled. One way to lessen the heat is to soak the chili in salted water, but this leaches out some of the flavor.

When shopping for fresh poblanos, don’t be put off if they are labeled pasilla. Who knows how the misnomer started, but somehow it caught on, and poblanos are routinely mislabled as pasilla. A dried poblano, wrinkly and a deep red-brown, is called an ancho chili, sometimes ancho pasilla.

Ancho means "wide" in Spanish and refers to the chili’s broad girth. Pasilla, slim and almost black, actually is a dried chilaca chili.

The poblano happens to be the foundation of Mexico’s most patriotic dish, chilis en nogada. A far cry from everyday cheese-stuffed rellenos, these chilies are filled with meat, nuts and fruit and topped with a luxurious nut sauce. Parsley and pomegranate seeds scattered over the pale sauce represent the red, white and green of the Mexican flag.

Chili poblano means "chili from Puebla," a city that has played a key role in Mexican history and cuisine. Chilis en nogada was devised to honor Gen. Agustin Iturbide when he passed through Puebla on his way back from signing independence documents in 1821.

The new flag had just been adopted, and the creators of the dish, probably nuns, thought of an appropriate garnish — bands of pomegranate seeds and parsley with the white sauce showing in between.

Chili poblano polenta

Remove the stems, seeds and veins from the chilies. Cut them into thick slices. Place the slices in a blender and add the whipping cream and water. Blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and add the butter, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in the polenta. Turn the heat to low and continue cooking and stirring for 3 minutes until the polenta grains have softened. Serve with a dollop of the Mexican crema as garnish.

Serve this as an accompaniment to grilled quail, roasted chicken or roasted or grilled meat.

Makes 6 servings. Each serving: 319 calories; 5 grams protein; 34 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 51 mg. cholesterol; 800 mg. sodium.

Note: Mexican crema is available at Hispanic markets and some supermarkets.

Adapted from Benito Molina Dubost at Manzanilla restaurant in Ensenada, Mexico

Crema poblana

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roast the chilies, then peel them, but leave the stems attached. Make a small cut in each chili and remove the seeds. Fill each chili with about three-fourths of a cup of the picadillo filling and one-fourth cup of the shredded cheese. Place the filled chilies on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for about 7 minutes.

Spoon about a half-cup of the walnut sauce onto each plate. Place one chili in the center of the plate and pour a little more sauce over the top. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds. Serve hot.

Note: Manchego cheese can be found at Hispanic markets. Do not use Spanish Manchego.

Makes 10 servings. Per serving: 985 calories; 44 grams protein; 40 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 73 grams fat; 32 grams saturated fat; 218 mg. cholesterol; 686 mg. sodium.