Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients

12 large jalapeños
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, about 12 oz total
1½ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
Zest of 1 lime
1½ tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ancho chile powder or mild chili powder
½ tsp kosher salt, then adjust to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2–3 tbsp chopped cilantro, optional
About 6 black olives, quartered lengthwise into pointed “fingernails”

Make the filling

Boil the potatoes in salted water until completely tender. Drain well and mash until mostly smooth. You want enough structure to hold the filling together, not loose mashed potatoes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the corn and leave it alone long enough to actually brown. Stir and continue cooking until you have plenty of dark, blistered kernels.

That char is important. It's what moves this away from potato-stuffed pepper and toward elote.

Combine the potato and corn with the scallions, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, smoked paprika, cumin, chile powder, salt, pepper, and cilantro.

Taste it.

It should be slightly more intensely seasoned than seems necessary, because the jalapeño will dilute the filling once they're eaten together. Add more lime or salt if it seems flat.

Prepare the fingers

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Cut each jalapeño lengthwise. Remove the seeds and white ribs.

For a milder office-friendly batch, be fairly thorough about removing the ribs. That's where much of the heat lives.

Arrange the halves cut-side up on a parchment-lined sheet pan.

Pack each generously with the elote filling. Don't smooth the filling perfectly flat; a slightly irregular surface looks better after roasting.

At the narrow end of each pepper, press in a pointed piece of black olive as a rotting black fingernail.

Roast

Bake for roughly 15–20 minutes, until:

the jalapeños have softened but still hold their shape, the exposed filling has begun to brown, and the peppers have developed a few blistered areas.

If you want more color, give them another minute or two under the broiler while watching them closely.

Finish

Just before serving, hit them with:

a little additional lime zest,
a dusting of smoked paprika or ancho chile,
and perhaps a few tiny cilantro leaves.

Serve warm or room temperature.

One thing I would not add

No vegan cheese.