Papas con Rajas Poblanas

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cast iron comal or open gas flame for roasting poblanos
• •Wide skillet or medium clay cazuela
• •Sharp knife for cutting clean rajas
• •Clean kitchen towel or bowl cover for sweating chiles

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the poblanos

   Place the chile poblano directly over a gas flame or on a hot dry comal. Turn them until the skins blister and blacken in patches on all sides. You are roasting the skin, not cooking the chile to mush. Put them in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes so the skins loosen.

2. 2

   Peel and slice

   Peel off the loosened skins with your fingers. Do not rinse the chiles under water. That washes away the roasted flavor you just worked for. Remove the stems and seeds, then slice the flesh into 1/2-inch strips. These are your rajas.

3. 3

   Parcook the potatoes

   Put the diced potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender at the edges but still hold their shape. Drain well. Wet potatoes do not brown. Let them sit in the colander for a few minutes.

4. 4

   Brown the potatoes

   Heat the manteca in a wide skillet or clay cazuela over medium heat. Add the drained potatoes in an even layer and let them brown before you start moving them around. Give them 6 to 8 minutes, turning once or twice, until the edges are golden. No me vengas con atajos. Pale potatoes taste boiled.

5. 5

   Cook the onion

   Add the sliced white onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and turns sweet at the edges. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until it smells sharp and warm. Garlic burns fast, and burned garlic takes over the whole pan.

6. 6

   Add rajas and corn

   Stir in the poblano rajas, corn, salt, and black pepper. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the corn brightens and the rajas soften into the potatoes. The pan should smell roasted, sweet, and a little grassy from the poblano.

7. 7

   Finish with crema

   Lower the heat. Stir in the Mexican crema and cook 1 to 2 minutes, just until it coats the potatoes and gathers lightly at the edges of the pan. Do not boil it hard or it can split. Taste for salt. If using queso fresco, scatter it over the top right before serving.

8. 8

   Serve warm

   Serve in the cazuela with warm corn tortillas on the side. It works as a side dish with eggs, beans, or grilled meat, and it makes a serious taco filling. This is weeknight food, but it still has rules. Así se hace y punto.

Chef Tips

• •Choose poblanos that are heavy, glossy, and dark green. Wrinkled poblanos have been sitting too long and will taste tired. Si no conoces el mercado, no conoces la cocina.
• •Use Mexican crema, not sour cream. Sour cream is thicker and sharper. Crema should loosen into the potatoes and carry the roasted poblano flavor.
• •Fresh corn is best in late summer. If the ears at the market look dry, use good frozen corn instead. Mexican grandmothers cook with what is in front of them, not with fantasy produce.
• •If you cannot use lard, use a neutral oil and understand the compromise. The potatoes will brown, but they will not have the same depth. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.

Advance Preparation

• •The poblanos can be roasted, peeled, and sliced one day ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator with their juices.
• •The potatoes can be parcooked up to 6 hours ahead. Cool them completely before refrigerating so they brown instead of steaming in the skillet.
• •Leftovers keep for 3 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a skillet with a spoonful of crema or water to loosen the sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)