Usually, I approach the airport security check with bored confidence, my contact solution, water bottles, personal packs of propane, and other forbidden liquid conveniences left at home or packed safely in my checked luggage. But on the trip back from San Antonio last weekend, my heart beat a little faster than usual. We were transporting an insulated bag full of frozen Hatch chilies, which were in a solid state when we left the house but (I worried) could dissolve at any minute into a spicy illegal soup and be confiscated by greedy airport personnel. Thankfully no one stopped us, but they would have faced some harsh confrontation if they had. So, although I had never heard of Hatch chilies a few weeks ago, I now have a freezer full of them. Sometimes life is kind.
Hatch chilies, I have since learned, are a particular appellation of pepper, grown exclusively in the region of Hatch, New Mexico. Every year their harvest is accompanied by a local festival and chili cook-off, followed by large-scale stockpiling – the chilies actually improve (meaning they get spicier) the longer they’re kept frozen, and New Mexican chili enthusiasts buy pounds and pounds to last them throughout the year. The enthusiasm has spread to Texas, and my fortunate connections there hooked me up with several bags of roasted Hatch chilies, some of which were a milder version, and a few raw ones to experiment with.
The spicy roasted chilies need very little help to make them a delicious accompaniment to any number of foods – all I did was puree them with a diced tomato and some lemon juice to dampen their fieriness just enough. The smoky flavor from the specks of black char seeps into the salsa the longer you let it sit, and is balanced by the acidity and heat. It was great on top of tamales and jicama. The milder raw chilies were perfect in a salad with quinoa, carrots, and lima beans; they had the crunch and astringent taste of green bell peppers, with a slightly meatier flesh and a tingly spice that appeared almost as an afterthought. I’ve got enough chilies left for a dozen other experiments, and about ten months to come up with something spectacular to present at the Hatch Chili Festival cook-off, in case I decide to attend. 
No comments:
Post a Comment