I never thought I liked spicy food until I went to culinary school. The sensation of my mouth being set on fire has never been appealing to me. However, this doesn’t mean I don’t like spicy food necessarily. I just only like it when its done well and thought through. Building flavors is largely about creating layers that balance each other out. These tacos are a pretty perfect example of spicy food success, if I do say so myself.
We have a healthy dose of garlic and onions to give us depth, poblanos for heat, then avocado crema to cut it back down. The reason why avocado crema is the perfect pair for heat is because of the fat content of the avocado. Well balanced flavor is not enough to make a satisfying meal. We also must think about texture! I love the corn as an addition here because it soaks in flavor while cooking and still maintains just the right amount of crunch to keep me interested.
Lets talk about poblano peppers. They vary in heat based on the time of the year they were harvested. If it was warm out, chances are they’ll have a nice, even heat. If it was cold out, they’ll knock you on your ass. You don’t want to take that chance when you’re cutting into them, I promise. Cutting a spicy poblano without a glove will feel fine at first. Then, five minutes later you’ll feel a long, searing pain through your fingers that you can’t wash off. We burned that off in culinary school by holding our hands over the open flame of a gas stove… don’t try that at home please. Just wear gloves.. PLEASE. Check out my sort how to video below, just to stay on the safe side:
If you’re not scared yet, below is the recipe! Wow- I sure know how to sell them 🙂
Its:
Balanced
Fast
Crunchy!
Spicy, but not too spicy
Poblano Tacos with Avocado Crema
Heat from poblano peppers is balanced out with creamy avocado crema in this fast, non-kid friendly taco recipe!
Ingredients
- For the Crema:
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- For the Tacos:
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 poblano peppers
- 1 can corn
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 24 corn tortillas, warmed
- Romaine and tomatoes, for serving
Directions
- Step 1 Combine all the ingredients for the crema in a smoothie sized blender. Puree until smooth
- Step 2 set aside
- Step 3 Add the onions and garlic into a cast iron pan over medium low heat.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, cut the poblanos into small strips. Wear gloves! Add them to the pan with the corn and oil.
- Step 5 Serve the poblano mixture in warm tortillas with romaine, tomatoes, and avocado crema.
