Cook\'s Country - 2019-06-07

20 COOK’S COUNTRY • JUNE/JULY 2019

Preparing the Poblanos

Remove Stems
Cut around the stem and pull it out.

Halve and Seed Poblanos

Remove the seeds with your gloved hands.

Broil; Then Steam

Cover the poblanos to loosen their skins.

Scrape Off Skins

Use a spoon to remove the charred skins.

THE MEXICAN DISH rajas con cre-

ma (“strips with cream”) features strips

of charred poblano peppers folded into

a rich mixture of cream, onions, and

sometimes corn. When I was living in

Mexico City, I was always excited to

see this dish at taco joints—it never

failed to comfort me after a long day of

restaurant work.

Dark-emerald poblanos, an Ameri-

can supermarket staple, have a rich

chile flavor and an unpredictable

punch of mild heat. I set out to create

a weeknight-friendly supper of chicken

with rajas using this approachable,

ultratasty pepper.

Poblanos are transformed when

charred—their inherent fruity flavor

is dramatically enhanced with subtle

smokiness. But I quickly found that the

peppers were too spicy when I broiled

or grilled them whole because so much

of a poblano’s heat is concentrated in

the seeds. I decided to stem, halve, and

seed the peppers to tone down the heat

before charring them under the broiler.

Since I was charring only the skin side

of the halved peppers, I didn’t have to

flip them partway though broiling.

Once the pepper halves were

charred, I transferred them to a bowl

and covered them so the steam would

loosen the skins. When they were

cool enough to handle, I peeled off

the blackened skins and cut the flesh

into rajas. The rest of the dish came

together quickly.

I browned chicken breasts in a

nonstick skillet (I’d finish cooking

them in the sauce), transferred them

to a plate, and cooked the onions in

the same pan. Traditionally this dish

calls for a sauce based on Mexican or

Central American crema, which comes

in two main forms: It can be a shelf-

stable table cream (usually canned and

called media crema), or it can be found

in the refrigerated dairy aisle. The re-

frigerated version is easier to find and

thus was my choice here; it’s typically

a combination of heavy cream, sour

cream, cream cheese, and stabilizers.

This crema has a rich, tangy flavor

and (thanks to the stabilizers) doesn’t

separate or break when heated.

I stirred the crema into my mix-

ture of onions, poblanos, and garlic;

brought it all to a boil; and then

nestled the seared chicken back in the

skillet and turned down the heat so the

chicken could gently cook through in

the simmering sauce. Once the chicken

was fully cooked, I removed it and

reduced the sauce until it was nice and

thick. A sprinkling of cilantro added

freshness, and a squirt of lime juice

brought all the flavors into focus.

Whether you stuff it into warmed

tortillas or serve it with some rice, I

hope this version of rajas con crema

becomes a part of your weeknight

dinner routine.

CHICKEN WITH RAJAS

Serves 4

Crema can typically be found in the

refrigerated dairy aisle of the super-

market. If you can’t find it, you can

substitute 1 cup of heavy cream plus

2 tablespoons of cream cheese. Whisk

the mixture once it’s in the skillet to

ensure that the cream cheese dissolves.

This rich, creamy

sauce is a perfect foil

for the smoky charred

poblanos.

Chicken with Poblanos and Cream

Sure, you can make a cream sauce by cooking a roux and whisking in milk or cream.

But there’s an easier way—just use crema. by Natalie Estrada