Roasted Hatch Chile Relish

How do you feel about chiles? Are bell peppers your bane? Or can you never say no to a jalapeño? 

I fall pretty squarely in the latter category. I love how many different species of chiles there are and the variety of flavor and heat is constantly inspiring me with new dishes and different twists.

This week, the wide wheel of chiles fell on the Hatch variety, so named because they hail from the New Mexico town, Hatch. The farmers in Hatch cultivated their own subspecies of green chile for so many years that it eventually assumed the name of its hometown. They can be very mild as well as quite hot, so you can modify this recipe to your taste, depending on the types of chiles you use.

Roasted Green Hatch Chile Relish

(makes about 3 cups)

2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup roughly chopped white onion

2-1/2 Tbsps  extra-virgin olive oil
6 Hatch chiles
1/3 cup corn
1 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsps diced purple onion
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt

Using a food processor, pulse the garlic with the red wine vinegar until the mixture is the size of a medium chop.

In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat. Add the white onions and sauté until they are heavily caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Meanwhile, grill the Hatch chiles over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until about a quarter charred. If you don’t have a grill, well, bummer. I guess you could broil them in the oven, but it just won’t be the same. 

Once the chiles have finished grilling, remove them from the heat, cut in half lengthwise - discarding the stems and seeds, and set aside the chile.

Add the onions and the chiles to the mixture in the processor along with the corn, parsley, and purple onion and pulse 25 to 30 times to achieve the consistency of relish.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the honey, salt, and the remaining olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

At Bennett's, we served this relish with a quasi-caprese (heirloom tomatoes and Beecher's Smoked Flagship) and crispy rockfish. What would you serve it with? Tell me in the comments!