GREEN CHILE RELLENO LATKES

Makes: 12 latkes

12 whole green chilies, such as Anaheim, Poblano or Hatch 340 g (12 oz) white cheddar or Jack cheese, sliced widthwise into 12 short pieces 2 lb (907 g) russet or baking potatoes (about 3 large), peeled 1 medium onion, peeled 2 large eggs 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 to 125 mL) panko or regular bread crumbs or matzo meal Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Vegetable or grapeseed oil for frying Sour cream, for serving Red chili sauce or zhug, for serving (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F 190 C) and line a baking sheet with foil. Put the whole chilies on the baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes to an hour, flipping every 20 minutes, until the chilies are blackened all over. Let cool and then remove the stems and skin from each chili, leaving them as intact as possible. Then cut a slit almost the full length of each chili and carefully pull out the seeds. Put a piece of cheese inside each chili.

2. While the chilies are roasting, make the latkes, keeping the potatoes in cold water until ready to grate them.

3. Starting with the onion, alternately grate some of the onion in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or on the large holes of a large box grater and some of the potatoes on the smallest. When you have finished, put the potato and onion mixture into a clean dish towel and squeeze out the water into a medium bowl, allowing the potato starch to settle at the bottom. Carefully pour off the water, but leave the potato starch at the bottom of the bowl.

4. Once the liquid has been drained, put the potato mixture back in the bowl with the potato starch that has accumulated in the bottom. Add the eggs, the bread crumbs or matzo meal, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

5. Heat an inch of oil in a frying pan. Drop about 2 heaping tbsp of mixture for each latke into the skillet and fry for a few minutes, turning once. You should have 12 latkes. When golden and crisp, drain on paper towels.

6. Gently lay a stuffed chili on ■ the top of each latke and carefully flip the latke over so that the chili is face down in the pan.

7. Working in batches if necessary, fry for a few minutes more until the cheese is melted and slightly crisped in spots and the latke is golden brown. Drain, latke side down, on paper towellined baking sheets and then serve immediately.

8. Top with a dollop of sour cream or serve it on the side, and drizzle with a New Mexico red chili sauce or Yemenite zhug (recipe follows).