Now you’re cooking’ with gas!
Not much will turn a chef’s smile upside down like an electric cook top, although there are some pretty nifty “induction” ranges out these days. I have been lucky to only have brief stints of living with an electric range. While many are perfectly happy, and may even prefer electric, probably 99% of pros will choose flames we can see over an imprecise setting, such as “medium.” I mean, how low is “low” really? Not to mention the mystery of how long it takes to go from “high” to “low,” you know? jump to recipe
Obviously familiarity will breed insight into the M.O. of any given cook top, assuaging angst and building confidence, but there are several tasks that simply can’t be done without an actual flame. Charring things for starters. Roasting peppers and chiles takes just a few minutes and gives that distinctive charred flavor we love.
Simply place them on a medium flame and turn when each side is well blistered. I use tongs to hold any tricky bits in the flame, so that the whole thing gets some char. Then place the chiles or peppers in a paper bag to steam and cool for 5 to 10 minutes. The skin comes right off, and I often do a few at a time, freezing what I don’t use immediately.
I have bouts of laziness where I just pick up prepared peppers, and diced green chiles in a can have been a pantry staple of mine for decades… but then. I was making a big ol’ pot of chili and grabbed 2 cans out of the cupboard. Once opened, the contents were dramatically different. I scanned the labels and found the addition of “calcium chloride” on one – blech! It’s now the norm it seems, based on recent shopping expeditions, and indicative of the purview of most manufacturers unfortunately. So much for canned chiles, I decided, and back to the burner I went. [epilogue below]
If you are a Mediterranean-o-phile, you can make some bang up good baba ghanoush with a gas range. Put an eggplant on the burner, charring it thoroughly, then put it a bowl and cover to steam. Again, the skin comes right off and you can drain the juice (which is usually bitter) and you are poised for tasty batch.
For anything with summer corn in it, I let each of the kernels on the cob cozy up to the flames at least briefly. My mango and roasted corn salsa is ever a hit, and its success comes from the “roasted” bit. I also use roasted corn in my salads and enchiladas – just carve off kernels with a sharp knife.
Perhaps the thing I miss the most when living sans gas is the ability to toast corn tortillas – I really (really) dislike flour tortillas. No matter how I am using them, I toast the tortillas first by placing them on the burner for a kiss of flame. It just gives them that “je nais se quois” a flour tortilla will never have.
When the oven is practically off limits due to the heat index, I do more quick stove top meals. Just add salad, and not only do you have dinner in minutes, you only had one burner on briefly. You can search “skillet dinner recipe” to find plenty of options. My “Skillet Enchiladas” really hits the spot, and works whether or not you are cooking with gas.
EPILOGUE: Certain brands, none of the major food companies, haven’t added the calcium chloride to their diced green chiles. Hatch brand seems to do it sometimes, which I find confusing. Shop in a market with a good selection of Latino products to find them if disinclined to roast yourself.
This is what I call a master recipe, meaning kinda an idea with lots of options. I had actually planned to make this batch with black beans, but then didn’t have any, and so in went the meatless crumbles. You can make it with any protein you like. I had enchilada sauce on hand, but Rotel or even just salsa would work. I will buy diced green chiles in a can, but only certain brands because of the calcium chloride, which I don't want in mine.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cooked protein
- OR a 13 oz. can of black beans, drained
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tomatoes chopped or a 13 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 roasted chile, diced
- 1, 13 oz. can enchilada sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 4 corn tortillas, toasted (or not) and chopped
- ¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup shredded cheeze of choice
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in a little oil. When golden, add the garlic and cook another minute (don’t let the garlic burn).
- Add the tomatoes and season with a little salt, then let cook a few more minutes. Add your protein, diced chiles, enchilada sauce, and cumin, then stir to combine. Lower heat and let cook about 5 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning. When tasty, add tortillas and stir in to soak up flavor.
- When ready to serve, garnish with cilantro.
