I love the Chinese culinary mindscape. One of the most entertaining dishes is called “tiger skin peppers.” The chef fries two types of peppers that look identical! One is sweet and the other is very (very) spicy. From one bite to the next, you are biting into a mystery. A mystery with potentially dire consequences! With this dish, you can wow your guests in a similar, albeit more gentle way, by strategically grouping the mild and hot green chiles across the casserole. Don’t be boring.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 0.33 cup sugar
- 0.33 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 16-oz can creamed corn
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 0.33 cup + 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 4-oz can diced green chilies, mild
- 1 4-oz can diced green chilies, hot
- 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Sour cream and/or hot sauce for garnish
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, buttermilk, salt, garlic, corn, eggs, and ¼ cup of olive oil. Only stir until everything is barely but evenly combined (no flour streaks). Some lumps are okay.
- Coat the bottom and sides of a baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour the batter into the baking dish. On top of the batter, place a layer of hot and mild peppers, placed so one bite will be hot and the other sweet. Top the peppers with shredded cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 45–50 minutes or until the cheese on top is crisp and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm scoops directly from the baking dish. Top with sour cream or hot sauce.
