Recipe: Chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers) with salsa roja risotto

In Spanish, mezcla means something like mix or blend. It is used to describe music, art and dishes alike. In Mezcla, the first solo cookbook by Ixta Belfrage, who previously co-wrote Ottolenghi’s cookbook Flavour, Ixta shares her favourite ‘mezcal’ of ingredients and flavours from Brazilian, Mexican and English cuisine and recipes, such as these stuffed peppers with salsa soja.

Ixta: “Let me clarify this. First of all, I know these are not classic chiles rellenos. They are not made with poblano chillies, they are not filled with traditional ingredients, and they are not dipped in batter and fried. However, they are inspired by chiles rellenos (one of my favourite dishes of all time) and they are also, quite literally, ‘chiles rellenos’ – stuffed peppers. Secondly, I also know that this is not risotto – no Arborio rice is used and the rice is not prepared in the traditional way. But the texture of the end result is very similar to that of a good risotto. I couldn’t call this ‘Peppers stuffed with spicy rice’ or something along those lines. Not only does that sound very boring; you would also lose sight of that important inspiration.”

How to make the chiles rellenos with salsa roja risotto

• To start, make sure you soak the rice in water for at least 2 hours or overnight. Heat the grill to its highest setting when you are ready to cook.
• Cut each pointed pepper open lengthways, but leave the top and bottom intact. Place the peppers cut-side up on a rack set over a baking tray. Grill the peppers for about 7 minutes until soft and blackened in places, turn them over and grill for another 4–8 minutes, until that side is also soft and blackened in places. Keep an eye on them, because if your grill is very hot, they may be ready sooner. Set the rack with the baking tray aside and leave the peppers to cool cut-side down so the moisture can drip out.
• Cook the rice. Drain the soaked rice and put it in a pan with 450 grams of water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down, cover the pan and cook the rice for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the salsa. Put the first 10 ingredients (everything except the water and tomato purée) in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the onions are soft
  and golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low if the mixture starts to burn.
• Discard the habanero chilli (press it against the side of the pan first for a spicier result, if desired). Transfer the salsa to a blender with the water and tomato purée and blend until smooth. Pour back into the pan and set aside.
• Heat the grill to its highest setting.
• Now fill the peppers. Mix the feta and mozzarella together in a bowl. Place the peppers on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil. Remove any pieces of skin that come away easily (you don’t want to tear holes in the peppers). Pat the insides dry and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Fill the peppers with the cheese mixture, sprinkle with some sea salt flakes and drizzle with a little oil. You can do this up to 4 hours in advance.
• Grill the peppers for 7–9 minutes on one of the upper shelves of the oven, until the cheese is bubbling and browned in places.
• Leave the peppers to cool for a few minutes (not too long, otherwise the melted cheese will harden).
• Stir the cooked rice into the salsa soja in the pan and heat for 1 minute. The texture should be that of a loose, moist risotto; add a splash of water if needed.
• To serve: spoon the risotto onto a flat serving dish and place the peppers on top. Garnish with the spring onion and coriander, squeeze over some lime and serve.

Title: Mezcla
Author: Ixta Belfrage
Price: €32,99
Publisher: Fontaine uitgevers

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