The Dinner Goddess
By Lila Shaw Lash

Chiles, chiles everywhere...
Part I

If you were to take regional Mexican cooking down to its very basis, to its foundation, you would find a handful of important basics but most importantly you would find the soulful chile. There are quite literally hundreds, both fresh and dried, too many to list here—(M)habanero, ancho, serrano, arbol, guajillo, piquin, poblano, pasilla, the list goes on and on.

The complexity of flavors, the earthiness and the bite that we all love in Mexican food can be directly attributed to the ancient technique of cooking and seasoning with fresh and dried chiles. You can get a good selection locally, but many chiles are regional, so you have to keep an eye out when you’re next in Oaxaca, Veracruz or Michoacán.

It might be a bit daunting to think of all the possibilities, so come take a walk with me. This week, we’ll start with fresh chiles, and next week we’ll finish up with dried ones. As I mentioned before, there are quite literally hundreds of varieties (enough to fill up volumes of reference books), so I’ve selected a few of the most commonly used to highlight some of my favorite preparations. Ancho and chipotle start out as fresh poblano and jalapeno, so we’ll start there.

The poblano chile is one of the most widely used chiles in the traditional Mexican kitchen—(M)chile rellenos, rajas, and what is considered the patriotic dish of Mexico, chiles en nogada. With its green poblano base, creamy nut-based sauce, and sprinkling of red pomegranate seeds, chiles en nogada mimic the beloved bandera that is displayed so proudly all over town, especially around Dia de Independencia, Sept 16.

You can use raw poblano chiles, but it is more common to asar or roast them over an open gas flame. This method is preferred by most Mexican cooks to roasting in the oven, but you can do whichever is most convenient in your home kitchen. After they are roasted, you either sweat them in a plastic bag or place them in a bowl with a cloth towel to cover. The trapping of the heat forces the burned skin to separate from the meaty, smoky, relatively mild flesh and you’re ready to slice for rajas or stuff for rellenos and nogadas.

Poblano chiles are perfect for many dishes, but the serrano chile is many Mexican aficionados’ chile of choice for salsa picantes and other preparations that require some added heat. Chiles derive their heat from capsaicin—(M)some have lots, others have less. By removing the internal white veins and seed pods, you can remove most of the heat from your chile of choice. If you’re still having trouble with the heat, consider soaking the chile in heavily salted water for several hours, as this removes even more of the capsaicin. Above all, be careful when you’re cleaning and handling your chiles as the heat stays on your fingers and finds its way quite easily into your eyes or mouth—(M)you won’t be happy with the results. Always remember, dairy products are the only thing that neutralizes the burn; the others (beer, soda, water) just push it around on your tongue.

The serrano chile is popular for use in table salsas and other simple Mexican dishes that require a fresh, grassy-tasting heat versus the more earthy flavor of the habanero or the smoky flavor of the chipotle. This chile is usually two and a half inches wide and about one half inch thick, with a bright green color, sometimes simply referred to in Mexico as chile verde. You can finely chop the chile, add some chopped tomatoes, onion and cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime and be quite content with your homemade pico de gallo—(M)translated to peck of the rooster, referring to the feeling on your tongue after you eat this dish.

Mercado Ignacio Ramirez and the surrounding blocks have several great places to buy chiles, so be adventurous and pick something you’ve never tried. How could you be disappointed? It’s age-old soul food.

Lila Shaw Lash is the Dinner Goddess, a personal chef & catering service for clients in San Miguel de Allende. Find out more at dinnergoddess.com or write to her at lila@dinnergoddess.com.