For just a couple more weeks, it will be fresh Hatch chilies season. Their flavorful flesh takes on an alluring scent when roasted. Once roasted, peeled and seeded, they are irresistible in a wide variety of dishes.
One of my favorite ways to use them is to show them off in a Hatch Chili New Mexican Style Sauce. As the years have whizzed by, I have grown to prefer the sauce made with mild Hatch chilies, rather them their hot counterparts. I love to spoon the sauce over roasted chicken thighs, arranging the bird atop rice and sprinkling the finished dish with chopped cilantro. I also love it spooned over baked potatoes garnished with sour cream. Delicious.
Hatch Chili New Mexican Style Sauce
Yield: About 2 3/4 cups
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups roasted mild Hatch chilies, peeled, seeded, diced, see cook’s notes
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt to taste
Cook’s notes: To roast chilies, adjust oven rack to 5- to 6-inches below the broiler element and preheat broiler. Place chilies on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Place under broiler and broil until blistered and blackened, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and turn chilies with tongs. Return to oven and broil until blistered and blackened, another 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Allow to rest long enough for chilies to be cool enough to handle. Peel chilies, remove seeds, and dice.
DIRECTIONS
1. On medium heat, warm oil in a deep 12-inch skillet. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, about 5 minutes (do not brown garlic). Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2. Stir in the Hatch chilies and broth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until thickened adjusting the heat the last 5 minutes if needed to bring up the heat to aid the thickening process. Taste and add salt if needed.
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.