Mollete de Champiñón y Chile Poblano
Foodie chefs tweak traditional recipes in new and interesting ways. The traditional bean and cheese mollete can be elevated to include mushrooms, bacon, cactus, chorizo, potato, egg, etc. etc.. Given that, I haven’t given up on the traditional version. I am presenting a more sophisticated recipe to demonstrate to you that there exists a potential for your own creativity while still maintaining the authenticity of Mexican food.
In my experience, molletes aren’t commonly listed as a restaurant menu item in Southern California. Traditionally they are served for breakfast but they make a delicious lunch or light dinner. I’ve served them as a picnic dish for outdoor music concerts. The traditional recipe is a great child menu dish, so treat your kids and yourself with a new food experience. Let’s get started.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
4 Bolíos (French rolls)
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cloves garlic minced
5 ounces sliced mushrooms ( Crimini or White Button)
2 roasted chile poblano peppers cut into 2 inch strips
1 cup of refried beans**
8 oz Monterey grated jack cheese
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
Preparation
**Refried beans
Canned refried beans are OK for this dish but by making your own you’ll have a better tasting beans. Freeze any excess for later.
To make fresh beans, spread 1 cup of dry pinto bean on a flat surface and inspect and remove any debris and broken beans then wash them in water and drain. Place the beans in a 4 quart sauce pan, add 1 smashed garlic clove and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Periodically check the water level and add hot water as necessary. When the beans are cooked soft to the touch, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir and set aside. Remove liquid broth to a level of ¼ inch above the beans before mashing them with a potato masher. Beans may be prepared a day ahead and you can freeze any excess for later.
Roasted Chile Poblano
Rinse the chiles and place them on a baking tray, then set the tray 6 to 10 inches under the broiler flame. Roast for 5-6 minutes until the chile is uniformly blistered, rotate and broil the remaining sides for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then place them in a plastic bag so they can steam and soften. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. Remove stems, seeds and julienne into 2 inch thin strips. Set aside.
Filling
Add 2 teaspoons of oil in a 10 inch stainless steel pan heated to medium high. Add the onions and sauté them 4 minutes, add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and mushrooms in the pan and sauté 4 more minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Mix in the poblano strips. Salt and pepper.
Finish
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Split each roll in half and hollow out by removing the soft dough. For each half roll, spread 2 tablespoons of refried beans, then layer the mushroom filling. Top with cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, then finish quickly under the broiler until the cheese is golden. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
The pasilla pepper is different from poblano but these names are used interchangeably in the U.S. to label poblano peppers. I’ve used the term pasilla in previous recipes. Guilty. See the photo below and you’ll recognize what a poblano looks like. Though bolíos (french rolls) are traditional, you can substitute crusty bread slices too.
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