Chile Class (*Audio Fixed*) with Rick Bayless

Roast a poblano by turning it over a flame until evenly charred all over; cool, then slip off the skin.

Tear it open, pull out the seed pod and rinse quickly to remove stray seeds and skin.

For a dried chili, tear off the stem, open it and shake out the seeds; remove the veins for less heat.

Oil toasting: a skim of oil in a pot, a couple of seconds per side until lighter brown and blistered -- a thorough toast used for mole.

Dry toasting: press the chili flat in a dry skillet with a spatula until it turns lighter and blisters on each side, without much darkening.

Next the toasted chilies are soaked in water, pureed and cooked down (not shown).

To make a fresh chili mild, cut out the whole vein and the seed pod, which hold the capsaicin; the seeds themselves hold almost none.