Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version I

It's Hatch chile pepper season again. Grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, these peppers are a great way to add spice and flavour to many dishes, including pasta and meat sauces, salsa, hummus, enchiladas, mole and casseroles. They can even be used to bake into bread and cookies.

The Hatch Chile Festival website has some interesting facts (including the following:
One fresh medium-sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges) and recipes.

Most recipes featuring hatch chiles require the peppers to be roasted and the skins peeled. I used the oven to roast my peppers, but a grill or BBQ can also be used. I found out the hard way that gloves should be worn when roasting and peeling chile peppers. It's not advisable to rub your eyes - it stings! - and my fingertips feel like they are on fire!

Method:
Wash and dry the peppers. Place on a baking tray.

Roast at 230C / 450F for 10 mins or until skin is charred and blistered, but not blackened, turning halfway.

Place roasted peppers in paper or plastic bag or container. Seal the bag or cover the container and let the peppers steam for 10-15 mins to loosen the peel.
Pull the skin off the peppers, de-seed and chop.

The first version below (second version to follow) contains flour and butter, plus stock to make a more liquidy sauce, which is ideal for using with meat. It takes a little longer to cook as the liquid needs to reduce but this allows time for all the flavours to infuse.

Hatch Chile Pepper Sauce - Version I
Makes 5 servings
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 42g / 3tbsp butter
- 30g / 4tbsp flour
- 160g / 5.5oz onion, chopped
- 1.5tbsp chili powder
- 2tsp cumin
- 1tsp cayenne pepper
- 960ml / 32oz vegetable OR chicken broth, reduced sodium
- 411g / 14.5oz diced tomatoes, no added salt
- 900g / 32oz Hatch green chile peppers, roasted and peeled

Method:
Make roux sauce by melting the butter and whisking in flour. Stir on a low heat for 10 minutes until the roux turns the colour of peanut butter.

In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion until lightly brown. Add the spices and stock. Bring to a light boil, reduce to simmer and slowly add roux, whisking to blend.

In a food processor, blend together the diced tomatoes and roasted green chilies.

Add to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with lean ground turkey or beef - simply stir the sauce into meat - quinoa or rice and fresh vegetables. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: