Creamy Hatch Green Chile Sauce

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 5 Hatch green chiles, rinsed
• ¾ cup sweet onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ¾ cup heavy cream

Roast chiles under the broiler or on the grill until they have softened and the skin has blackened. Transfer them to a plastic zipper bag, close the bag, and steam 10 minutes. Remove the chiles, peel off the skin and discard. Remove the stem, slice the chile open, remove the seeds, and discard them. Coarsely chop the peppers.

Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add chiles and onion, and saute several minutes until the onion has softened. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Stir in chicken stock, oregano, and cumin. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Stir in cilantro.

Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until it is smooth. Alternately, cool the mixture until it is lukewarm and then puree in a blender. (Hot liquids create pressure in a blender and can explode.) Transfer the sauce into a clean saucepan and stir in cream. If the sauce is too spicy, add a bit more broth or cream. Reheat the sauce, but do not allow it to boil.