TUNA STUFFED CHILES

Tuna Stuffed Chiles image

Provided by Marcela Valladolid

Time 2h50m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

8 Anaheim chiles, charred, stemmed, and seeded, left whole for stuffing
Two 6-ounce cans albacore tuna in water, drained
1 cup fresh peas (from 1 pound in the shell), or canned, or frozen and thawed
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 ear), or canned, or frozen and thawed
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup sliced carrots
2/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small red onions, halved and thinly sliced
2/3 cup white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons crumbled dried Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves

Steps:

To char the chiles: Over a gas flame, char the chiles on all sides until blackened, placing them into a sealable plastic bag to sweat for about 10 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bag and, using paper towels, wipe off the charred skin from the chiles. With a paring knife, slice the chiles down the center just to reveal the inside, being careful not to fully cut them in half. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and the vein, keeping the stem and the rest of the chile intact. Place the chiles in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish and set aside for stuffing.
To make the tuna filling: Combine the tuna, peas, corn and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
To make the pickling liquid: Cook the carrots in boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions and cook until the onions are slightly cooked, but still crispy, 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup water and the vinegar and bring to a simmer (see Cook's Note, below). Add the carrots, oregano and bay leaves. Simmer until the vegetables are crisp- tender and almost all of the vinegar has evaporated, 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.
To stuff the peppers: Stuff the peppers with the tuna mixture. Place back in the baking dish; they should fit snuggly. Pour the warm pickled mixture over the stuffed chiles and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Serve cold.