Cabo-Style Poached Eggs with Roasted Poblano Chiles, Charred Corn & Poblano Cream Sauce
By Heidi Allison
This dish is homage to the new “it” plate served at the celebrity hot-spot, Las Ventanas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This brilliant recipe is a modern redo of that iconic brunch fave – Eggs Benedict. The buttered English muffin is swapped out for a roasted poblano chile and charred yellow corn “nest” – a much healthier choice for those watching their weight, and diabetics; while the artery-clogging traditional Hollandaise sauce is replaced with a creamy, complex, roasted poblano chile cream that is refreshingly light, yet rich, all at the same time!
In this recipe, its all about layering flavors, which compensates for those great-tasting fats found in the more traditional version. The eggs yolks and butter used in the yellow-colored French sauce are replaced with a smoky, creamy green sauce, which gets its complexity from combining roasted mild green poblano chiles with caramelized onions, along with simmered bell peppers, green onions, garlic and cilantro. Finished off with a little Mexican crema, its killer! Another trick that builds flavor is poaching the eggs in the cilantro, garlic and bell pepper cooking water, along with a touch of distilled white vinegar, which lightly flavors the usually bland poached eggs.
With this dish, you won’t feel guilty about eating brunch, and eggs never tasted so good!
Ingredients
Poblano Crème Sauce
Makes: 1 cup
6 Poblano Chiles
2 cups Water
1 large clove Garlic, peeled
2 Green Onions, green part only, sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
½ bunch Cilantro, stems and leaves, rough chop
2 teaspoon Kosher Flake Salt, divided use
1 Yellow Onion, peeled and sliced
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
½ medium Avocado
4 Tablespoons Mexican Crema
Juice of ½ Lime
Preparation
Place poblano chiles on the trivet of a gas stove and heat over high heat until chile skin is black and charred.
Place chiles in a zip lock bag and allow to steam for 15 minutes.
Gently scrape roasted chiles with the side of a butter knife or spoon to remove charred skin; then stem, seed and place into blender.
Place 2 cups of water into a 2 quart pot, and place garlic, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro and 1 teaspoon of salt on medium heat and lightly boil until bell pepper is soft – about 10 minutes.
Strain into a bowl, saving cooking water; then add to blender with 2 Tablepsoons of cooking water.
Place sliced onion in a foil-lined baking dish, then toss with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining salt. Heat at 375°F until soft and golden brown in color, about 15 minutes.
Add caramelized onions, avocado and Mexican Crema into blender and purée until emulsified. Add lime juice and adjust salt, if needed; then cover and set aside.
Poached Eggs: Place reserved bell pepper, onion and cilantro cooking water, along with 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar into an 8-inch skillet, and heat on medium-low heat until simmering. Carefully add 2 raw eggs and simmer until eggs are set—about 4 minutes. (If yolks are still uncooked, gently spoon hot cooking water over egg yolks until just set.) Turn heat off, and allow to finish cooking in hot water.
Roasted Poblano Chile and Charred Corn Nest
Ingredients
4 Poblano Chiles
1 cup Frozen Yellow Corn
½ Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Preparation
Repeat above method of charring, skinning, and removing seeds and stems. Slice chiles into ¼ inch wide strips and set aside.
Heat an 8-inch, cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Place frozen corn into skillet and allow to cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. Add olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir corn with a wooden spoon until charred and soft; then remove and set aside.
Place roasted chile strips and charred corn on a plate. Top chile/corn nest with poached egg, then drizzle with poblano chile cream. Sprinkle additional flake salt over the top. Serve immediately.
Author's Notes
This poblano cream keeps in fridge for 4 days.
This dish is homage to the new “it” plate served at the celebrity hot-spot, Las Ventanas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This brilliant recipe is a modern redo of that iconic brunch fave – Eggs Benedict. The buttered English muffin is swapped out for a roasted poblano chile and charred yellow corn “nest” – a much healthier choice for those watching their weight, and diabetics; while the artery-clogging traditional Hollandaise sauce is replaced with a creamy, complex, roasted poblano chile cream that is refreshingly light, yet rich, all at the same time!
In this recipe, its all about layering flavors, which compensates for those great-tasting fats found in the more traditional version. The eggs yolks and butter used in the yellow-colored French sauce are replaced with a smoky, creamy green sauce, which gets its complexity from combining roasted mild green poblano chiles with caramelized onions, along with simmered bell peppers, green onions, garlic and cilantro. Finished off with a little Mexican crema, its killer! Another trick that builds flavor is poaching the eggs in the cilantro, garlic and bell pepper cooking water, along with a touch of distilled white vinegar, which lightly flavors the usually bland poached eggs.
With this dish, you won’t feel guilty about eating brunch, and eggs never tasted so good!
Ingredients
Poblano Crème Sauce
Makes: 1 cup
6 Poblano Chiles
2 cups Water
1 large clove Garlic, peeled
2 Green Onions, green part only, sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
½ bunch Cilantro, stems and leaves, rough chop
2 teaspoon Kosher Flake Salt, divided use
1 Yellow Onion, peeled and sliced
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
½ medium Avocado
4 Tablespoons Mexican Crema
Juice of ½ Lime
Preparation
Place poblano chiles on the trivet of a gas stove and heat over high heat until chile skin is black and charred.
Place chiles in a zip lock bag and allow to steam for 15 minutes.
Gently scrape roasted chiles with the side of a butter knife or spoon to remove charred skin; then stem, seed and place into blender.
Place 2 cups of water into a 2 quart pot, and place garlic, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro and 1 teaspoon of salt on medium heat and lightly boil until bell pepper is soft – about 10 minutes.
Strain into a bowl, saving cooking water; then add to blender with 2 Tablepsoons of cooking water.
Place sliced onion in a foil-lined baking dish, then toss with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining salt. Heat at 375°F until soft and golden brown in color, about 15 minutes.
Add caramelized onions, avocado and Mexican Crema into blender and purée until emulsified. Add lime juice and adjust salt, if needed; then cover and set aside.
Poached Eggs: Place reserved bell pepper, onion and cilantro cooking water, along with 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar into an 8-inch skillet, and heat on medium-low heat until simmering. Carefully add 2 raw eggs and simmer until eggs are set—about 4 minutes. (If yolks are still uncooked, gently spoon hot cooking water over egg yolks until just set.) Turn heat off, and allow to finish cooking in hot water.
Roasted Poblano Chile and Charred Corn Nest
Ingredients
4 Poblano Chiles
1 cup Frozen Yellow Corn
½ Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Preparation
Repeat above method of charring, skinning, and removing seeds and stems. Slice chiles into ¼ inch wide strips and set aside.
Heat an 8-inch, cast iron skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Place frozen corn into skillet and allow to cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. Add olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir corn with a wooden spoon until charred and soft; then remove and set aside.
Place roasted chile strips and charred corn on a plate. Top chile/corn nest with poached egg, then drizzle with poblano chile cream. Sprinkle additional flake salt over the top. Serve immediately.
Author's Notes
This poblano cream keeps in fridge for 4 days.
