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Poblano Chili Cream Sauce with Grilled Chicken recipe
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Taste of Mexico: Poblano Chili Cream Sauce with Grilled Chicken
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Poblano Cream Sauce is a delicious sauce made from Poblano Rajas, a traditional Mexican food. It combines roasted poblano chilies with onions, herbs and crema Mexicana to create a bright and smooth sauce. Crema Mexicana is like creme fraiche and sour cream. This light cream vegetable sauce is perfect served over any grilled meats or fish. Poblano Cream Sauce Recipe is from More Mexican Everyday by Rich Bayless
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
Poblano Chili Cream Sauce
  • 1 lb / 453 g fresh poblano chilies about 4 poblanos
  • 2 Tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 large white onion sliced 1/4 inch
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 cup / 185 ml creme fraiche or Crema Mexicana**
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Grilled chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts*
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 Tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Juice from half a lime or lemon
  • 1/2 tsp dried garlic or 2 fresh garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Roast the Poblano chilies
  1. Roast the poblano over an open flame of a grill or stove. Use tongs to turn the poblano peppers over so each side is evenly blistered and charred. You want a good sear over the peppers without over cooking them. The process will take around 5-7 minutes per pepper.
  2. If a grill or gas stove is not available, turn your broiler to high. Place the poblanos on a sheet pan covered in aluminum foil and place under the broiler. Watch the peppers and turn them over to get an even char, about 10-15 minutes total.
  3. Once the poblanos are blistered and blackened, remove from the flame or broiler and cover inside a bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Rest for 10 minutes or until cool.
  4. Remove the skin from the poblanos by peeling it off with your fingers. The skin should easily peel where it was blistered. Remove the stem, core and seeds. If necessary, rinse the stubborn seeds away with running tap water, but only very briefly. You do not want to rinse away the delicious charred flavor.
  5. Slice each pepper into 1/4 inch strips about two inches long. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken
  1. Pound the chicken breast with a meat pounder, or the palm of your hand, to even out the thickness of each breast. Sprinkle each breast on both sides with Kosher salt and set aside.
  2. Mix the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and all the spices in a large bowl until evenly combined. Add the chicken to the marinade and mix with your hands to get an even coating over each chicken breast. Cover the bowl and set aside.
Make the Poblano Cream Sauce
  1. Place a skillet on medium high heat and add the vegetable oil. Before the oil gets to the smoking point add the sliced onion and sauté until lightly browned with some crispiness. About 7 minutes. Stir the onions occasionally so they don't stick to the pan or get too brown in parts.
  2. Add the minced garlic and oregano then stir. When the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, stir in the poblano peppers and creme fraiche, or Crema Mexicana.
  3. Cook and stir until the creme fraiche has thickened and evenly coating the vegetables. This should only take a few minutes.
  4. Taste and add salt if needed.
  5. Remove the vegetable mix from the skillet and place in a bowl of a food processor, blender, or high sided bowl if using an immersion blender. Blend the creamy poblano and onions until it becomes a silky-smooth sauce. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin out the sauce if needed.
  6. Once smooth, add the creamy sauce back into the skillet and turn the heat to low. Adjust the seasoning and add water, or creme fraiche, or stock to reach your desired thickness. The water will not dilute the flavor, but in makes it very bright and clean tasting. Add any liquid you are using in small increments to make sure you do not water it down. This sauce has some body to it and not runny.
Grill the Chicken
  1. Heat up a stove top grill pan or outdoor grill. Add the chicken to the pan (or grill) and cook for around 10 - 15 minutes depending on how thick your chicken pieces are and how hot your grill is. For a cross-hatch pattern, place the chicken on the grill at an angle over the rack or pan. After about 2-3 minutes, adjust the chicken at the opposite angle. Cook for 3 more minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side. The chicken is done with the juices run clear out of the holes made with a fork. No pink colored meat. You should also feel no resistance from the chicken as the fork goes through the meat.
Putting it all together
  1. Plate the chicken and spread the Poblano cream sauce across the middle of each piece. Pour additional sauce in a container to serve at the table.
Recipe Notes

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work well.

Crema Mexicana is similar to creme fraiche. Sour cream is also a good substitute, but should be thinned with a little heavy cream. To make your own Crema Mexicana heat 2 cups of heavy cream until warm. Do not boil. Pour the cream into an airtight container, like a ball jar with lid, and stir in 1/4 cup buttermilk. Seal the jar and let it steep for 48 hours. You can use after the first 48 hours of fermenting. Store the Crema Mexicana sealed in the refrigerator up to about three weeks.
If using as a condiment, like for tacos, allow the crema to come to room temperature before serving.
Crema Mexican recipe is from Tacos by Alex Stupek