KITCHEN PRACTICE 1 — Toasting & Rehydrating Dried Chiles
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Chapter: Mexican Cookery 5 — Dried Chiles: Toasting & Rehydrating

TASK
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Toast a batch of dried chiles properly — a few seconds per side,
watching closely — then rehydrate in hot water, drain, and inspect
the texture and smell.

WHAT TO DO
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1. Heat a comal or heavy dry pan over medium heat, with no oil.
2. Press a whole dried chile flat against the surface with a
   spatula or tongs for a few seconds, then flip and repeat on the
   other side.
3. Remove once it's fragrant and slightly pliable or lightly
   blistered — not smoking, not blackened.
4. Repeat for the rest of the batch.
5. Remove stems and most of the seeds, then soak the toasted chiles
   in hot (not boiling) water for 15-20 minutes.
6. Drain, and inspect the texture and smell.

WHAT TO EXPECT
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- Freshly toasted chiles should smell noticeably more fragrant and
  complex than they did straight out of the bag.
- After rehydrating, they should feel soft and pliable, easy to tear
  or blend, rather than brittle.
- The colour should still look deep red or brown — no real
  blackening anywhere.

WHY THIS WORKS AS AN ANSWER
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This exercise runs the chapter's own full technique end to end for
the first time, giving a direct, tasted-and-smelled reference point
for properly toasted and rehydrated chiles before they're ever
blended into a salsa or mole.