Roasted Hatch Chili Paste

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August 28, 2014 by cooksandcrannies

With all the complaining I’ve done about living in Arizona, I have to publicly retract a few statements and admit the good in this state. First, I wholeheartedly agree with my complaints about Phoenix, but that’s more of a personal preference.

Otherwise, I have come to enjoy- and maybe even love- living in Arizona. Prescott to be precise. The weather has been awesome, though a bit rainy because of monsoon season. I have not gotten to go hiking and explore much because of this, but it’ll soon be over and I can’t wait to get out there. The people are nice, there are good restaurants within walking distance, and the scenery is breathtaking. No matter what direction I drive in, I end up going really slow because my surroundings are absolutely amazing. So there it is- I like living in Arizona!

Another great thing about this area is getting to learn more about southwestern food and taste-test a variety of things at the farmer’s market. This genre is one of my favorites when it comes to cooking- and consuming. Southwestern food usually has a slight kick and a lot of love and history behind each dish.

A lot of love and history are also behind my new friend, the Hatch chili. I had just missed hatch chili season when I moved to Arizona last year. I vowed things would be different this year. And they were!

Hatch chilies are a unique chili grown in New Mexico, specifically in the Hatch Valley region. This spicy pepper is the state vegetable- how’s that for a potential trivia question? Unlike many chili peppers, these are not grown year-round, and are not widely available. I appreciate this limitation as I feel we/I often take things for granted and do not think about growing seasons and the work that goes into harvesting our food.

Anyway, harvest time for the Hatch is right now, with the Hatch Chili Festival taking place this weekend (in Hatch, NM). It’s quite an event packed with a parade, cook-offs galore, and even a dance! Check it out here.

Back to my new friend Hatch.

Last winter I was in Las Vegas when my cousin had me taste this hatch chili sauce he had made. It was spicy, delicious and so simple! So of course, I had to recreate it this year and post the recipe. To be clear, I did not come up with this recipe- my cousin Pavan did.

The recipe itself does not require much effort or ingredients. The only tedious part is peeling all the chilies. In my excitement, I bought 4 lbs of chilies which I soon realized required a lot peeling. The recipe makes about 5 cups of paste, so feel free to cut it in half.

After my first batch of recipe testing, I started thinking about what to do with the paste/sauce. I mean, I can handle the heat and eat it plain with chips, but that’s not versatile enough for me to sit and peel four pounds of chilies. And I didn’t want to post this recipe without having first brainstormed hatch chili paste possibilities. So in true Monique fashion, I made a list:

• Mix in with enchilada sauce (whether store-bought or homemade)
• Make a pureed salsa (place tomatillos, hatch paste, white onion, garlic, salt, lime juice, & cilantro in blender or food processor. Puree and enjoy!)
• Plain, with tortilla chips (my nemesis at the moment)
• Spread/condiment for 5-alarm burgers
• Stir into soups like chicken tortilla soup or chili
• Green chili chicken (marinate chicken in hatch paste, garlic, lime, salt, cumin, and coriander powder. Grill or cook on stovetop)
• Add to stuffed peppers (I’ll be coming out with a stuffed poblano recipe soon & it includes this)
• Add to store-bought salsa to spice it up
• Mix in with guacamole for a little kick
• Mix in with black bean & corn salad
• Make into a salad dressing for taco salad (puree hatch paste with fresh cilantro, lime juice, white wine vinegar, salt, and honey)
• Mix a little with sour cream for a spicy vegetable dip (also a new nemesis for me)

 

I think you get the idea…..

So here it is, roasted hatch chili paste. It’s sort of in between a paste and a sauce, and you can always thin it out with a little water for a more sauce-like consistency. Because this makes a lot, I sterilized a few mason jars to freeze the concoction and use throughout the year. Otherwise, have fun with Hatch!

Oh- you may want to consider wearing disposable gloves when peeling the chilies if you’re sensitive to the heat.

Roasted Hatch Chili Paste

makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs fresh hatch chilies
• 1-2 tsp salt
• canola oil

 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line jelly roll pan or other cookie sheet with foil paper (for easier clean up, but not necessary). Wash & dry hatch chilies.

2. Arrange on pan in single layer. Pour small amount of canola oil over chilies, and rub onto chilies with hands, adding more if necessary. Roast for 10-12 minutes. Flip chilies, and roast for another 8-10 minutes until skin is browned and blistered.

3. Immediately put the chilies into a large bowl and cover with saran wrap or foil paper. Finish roasting all the chilies, adding them to the bowl as they finish. Let cool for 15-20 minutes after the last batch.

4. Peel chilies by carefully pulling the blistered skin way from the flesh. Remove ends of chilies with fingers and scoop out the seeds, trying to keep as much of the membrane as possible (unless you want to decrease the spice level. Then scoop out the membrane and seeds).

5. Place peeled chilies in blender or food processor. Add salt. Puree until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If the paste is too hot, add a little lime juice to reduce spice level.

6. Place in sterilized jars if freezing. Allow to cool to room temperature if the paste is still warm, then freeze the extra jars. Otherwise, keep refrigerated.