Chile relleno pancakes

Char the poblanos all over directly over an open flame, turning with tongs, until blackened and beginning to soften with some give when squeezed; a blow torch or grill also works.

Roll the charred peppers in paper towels, wrap tightly in a kitchen towel and leave to steam at least 15 or 20 minutes.

Sauce: in a saucepan over medium-high heat cook diced onion and minced garlic in a little olive oil with a large pinch of salt for a few minutes, until translucent and starting to turn golden.

Add marinara and a little chicken broth; season with chili powder, dry oregano, black pepper, salt, a few shakes of cayenne, a little ground cumin and a touch of cinnamon. Bring to a simmer.

Lower to medium-low and simmer gently at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally; thin with broth if wanted. Taste, adjust the seasoning and reserve.

Scrape the burnt skin off the peppers with the edge of a knife, remove the seeds and stem, rinse the inside briefly and slice into strips.

Variation: without a flame, halve and seed the peppers, cut into strips and saute briefly in a little olive oil until they start to soften.

Cube the Monterey Jack.

Batter: crack one whole egg into a bowl, separate the second egg and add its yolk to the bowl and its white to another bowl. Add a big pinch of salt to the yolks and whisk a few minutes until light and foamy, then whisk in the flour in a few additions.

Add a pinch of salt to the white and whip with a clean whisk to soft peaks, not stiff.

Fold the yolk mixture into the whites with a spatula just until the whites disappear.

Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Spoon in a pepper-shaped bottom layer of batter, then layer pepper strips, cheese, more peppers and more cheese, and cover with the rest of the batter.

Cover with a lid and cook about 3 or 4 minutes, or a little longer, before flipping.

Flip, cover again and cook a few more minutes until the cheese is melted and the batter cooked through.

Serve on a generous serving of the sauce; chopped cilantro is optional, or ladle the sauce over the top.