Makes one dozen

 

12 Anaheim peppers

1 pound Monterey Jack, sliced in 12 strips

1 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. canola oil

 

1/2 cup of flour for coating

Add enough oil in your frying pan to at least 1/2 inch

 

Char the peppers under your broiler. You’ll find that their skin will blacken in spots and bubble up—that’s what you want. As they get charred—-put them in a bowl and keep it covered with some foil. You want to let the peppers “steam” in the bowl for 10 minutes. Then peel off their tough skins. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’ll be work it when you take your first bite.

 

Now comes the “fun” part—-make a slit in the side of each pepper and remove the membranes and the seeds. The biggest cluster of seeds is going to be directly under the stem—you can leave those. 

 

Combine the milk, flour, egg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and canola oil, till smooth. Pour the oil into your pan and heat it to medium-high or adjust your heat to how hot your stove runs. 

 

Roll each pepper in flour and then coat with the batter. I work with 1-2 peppers at a time because they brown quickly (and remember your peppers are already cooked.) I like to lightly smooth it out so that it’s evenly coated. Fry until browned on both sides.

 

Serve with your favorite picante sauce!