Fried Stuffed Jalapeño Chiles
Jalapeño PoppersSeveral years ago these spicy deep-fried jalapeño appetizers appeared like a maverick wave in northern Baja and swept into Southern California before the craze calmed down. They remain popular and now appear on restaurant appetizer menus around the country.
Ingredients
Makes 8 appetizers
- 8 jarred pickled jalapeño chiles en escabeche, drained
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese cut into thin strips, 1-inch long × 1⁄4-inch wide
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons finely crushed corn flakes
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut a slit from the stem end to within ½ inch of the tip of each chile.
- Carefully remove the seeds.
- Stuff each chile with a piece of cheese.
- In a bowl, beat together the egg, baking powder, flour, and corn flakes.
- Pour oil to a depth of about 1 inch into a small skillet and heat until a drop of the egg batter sizzles at once when dropped into the oil.
- Dip the chiles into the batter and fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot.