Baked Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Queso Fresco

Ingredients

• 6 poblano pepper
• 4¾ dl queso fresco, crumbled
• 2½ dl sour cream
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic, minced
• 2½ dl milk
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Method

1. 1.

   Char the poblano peppers — Roast the poblano peppers directly over a gas flame or under a hot broiler, turning often, until the skins are blackened and blistered on all sides.

2. 2.

   Peel and seed the peppers — Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes, then peel off the blackened skin, cut a slit down one side and remove the seeds, keeping the peppers whole.

3. 3.

   Sauté the onion and garlic — Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes.

4. 4.

   Make the cheese filling — Stir in the crumbled queso fresco, ground cumin, salt and black pepper, mixing until just combined, then remove from the heat and let the filling cool slightly.

5. 5.

   Stuff the peppers — Carefully stuff each poblano pepper with the cheese filling through the slit, pressing gently to close, and set the stuffed peppers in a greased baking dish.

6. 6.

   Make the béchamel — Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the wheat flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens into a smooth béchamel, about 5 minutes.

7. 7.

   Add sour cream to sauce — Stir the sour cream into the béchamel until smooth, then pour the sauce evenly over the stuffed peppers in the baking dish.

8. 8.

   Bake the stuffed peppers — Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and lightly golden, then serve the poblano peppers hot.