Pollo Poblano:
Chicken in Poblano Cream Sauce

This easy recipe is one of the few instances where poblanos are used without having to be roasted and peeled. The sauce can be made ahead of time and the dish assembled quickly before serving. It can be made in larger quantities, keeping the proportions the same, making it ideal for big parties. The sauce is also excellent for topping mushroom or huitlacoche crepes, or for mixing with cooked pasta, topped with cheese and popped in the oven until the cheese melts.

Ingredients:

3-4 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup Mexican crema or heavy cream

salt to taste

2 whole chicken breasts, cut in half

1 cup grated manchego, jack or gouda cheese

Preparation:

Puree the chiles in a blender with the milk until smooth. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, add the flour and brown lightly. Add the chile puree, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or a wire whisk until smooth. Lower the heat, add the cream, and stir constantly until the sauce begins to bubble. Remove from heat and add salt to taste. This sauce may be made one day ahead and refrigerated.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and saute chicken breast halves for 4 minutes on each side. Place them in a buttered baking dish, pour the poblano cream sauce over all, top with the grated cheese and bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven at 350º for 20 minutes. The cheese will be golden and bubbly.

Serve immediately.
Serves 4.