There’s a certain frozen food company that proclaims all over the Internet that it invented jalapeño poppers in 1992, but cooks from Mexico know that the concept of cheese-stuffed, breaded peppers—aka chiles rellenos—has been around far longer. It’s just the official “popper” name that was trademarked and branded the same year that “I’m Too Sexy” became a #1 hit. Still, whoever decided to sub out the knife-and-fork-necessary poblano chile for a bite-size jalapeño is pretty sexy in my book.
YIELD: 16 poppers
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours, including chilling time
DIFFICULTY: 5
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: electric hand mixer (optional), food processor, electric deep fryer (or a large pot and a candy/oil thermometer), latex gloves for handling spicy peppers (see sidebar), heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer
JALAPEÑOS
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
8 jalapeño chiles
BATTER
1 cup (4 ounces) masa harina (see page 13)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole or reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
BREADING
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
FILLING
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, fully softened
1 teaspoon cornstarch
FRYING
vegetable or canola oil
Bring the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the salt and sugar. While the liquid heats up, slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove the ribs, seeds, and stems.
Once the liquid has come to a boil, remove it from the heat and add the jalapeño halves. Brine for 10 minutes, flipping the jalapeños halfway through. Their color will change from bright green to muted olive.
MAKE THE FILLING:
Blend the cream cheese and cornstarch together in a small bowl with a silicone spatula or electric hand mixer until fully incorporated. Set aside.
MAKE THE BATTER:
Whisk the masa harina, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk and vegetable oil.
MAKE THE BREADING:
Pour the bread crumbs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times. The crumbs should be less coarse but not ground into a fine powder. Transfer to a medium bowl.
FILL THE CHILES:
Drain the brined jalapeños and pat dry with paper towels or a lint-free kitchen towel. Scoop about 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling into each jalapeño half, packing gently and smoothing flush against the sides.
Set a wire cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
Dip the filled peppers in the batter, shaking off the excess, then roll lightly in the breading. Carefully place each breaded pepper on the cooling rack—the coating will be loose and slippery—and continue with the remaining peppers.
Dip the breaded peppers in the batter, then into the breading, once more to create a firmer, more “set” breading.
Freeze the entire baking sheet with rack for at least 1 hour. Once the poppers are frozen through, they can be transferred to a freezer bag and kept frozen for up to 3 months.
FRY THE POPPERS:
Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 350°F in an electric deep fryer or large pot. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and an upside-down wire cooling rack (see Deep Frying 101, page 188).
Fry the poppers, in batches if necessary, until golden brown. Frying time will vary based on your equipment, but should take no more than 5 minutes per batch.
Transfer to the prepared baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer and let cool slightly before serving.
Serve the jalapeño poppers immediately.
SAFETY FIRST!
Wear latex gloves when working with any hot chiles. The essential oils that make them so spicy are difficult to remove from hands, and an errant touch of the eyes, nose, or other delicate areas after contact with the peppers will lead to pain!