Chiles en Nogada
Sunday is Mexican Independence Day, and restaurants here will honor the occasion by serving up the traditional treat of Chiles en Nogada
Chiles en Nogada is a classic Mexican dish originating from Puebla. Stuffed poblano peppers with meat mixed with fruits and spices and topped with walnut sauce, pomegranate seeds and cilantro or parsley. The colors of the dish reflect the Mexican flag: green fresh poblano peppers, white-creamy walnut sauce and red pomegranate seeds.
The first time I tried this dish in Tepoztlan when we had cooking classes last fall. Chef Ana cooked this dish for us on the day we arrive and after a couple of days we learned how to cook these peppers. I immediately knew that this dish I’ll cook at home again!
The recipe looks intimidating but it isn’t too difficult. The hardest (or longest) part about this recipe is removing the papery bitter skins from the walnut pieces for the sauce. This can take awhile so I would recommend doing this a day before you plan to make the peppers. Just soak them in milk and leave in the refrigerator. Of course, you don’t need to remove the skin, but then the sauce will be not as tasty and be bitter. Queso fresco can be replaced by farmer’s cheese or feta.
Chiles en Nogada is another one of my favorite Mexican dish, really unusual blend of flavors and spices, with a wonderful walnut sauce. ¡Viva México!
More photos of Chiles en Nogada I made
Chiles en Nogada Recipe
By Published: September 11, 2018
- Yield: 6
Sunday is Mexican Independence Day, and restaurants here will honor the occasion by serving up the traditional treat of Chiles en …
Ingredients
- 6 large poblano peppers
- 0.5 cup pomegranate seeds
- cilantro or parsley
- 1 cup walnuts for the walnut sauce
- 1 cup milk for the walnut sauce
- 100 g (3 1/2oz) queso fresco for the walnut sauce
- 1 tbsp sherry for the walnut sauce
- pinch salt for the walnut sauce
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon for the walnut sauce
- 1 tsp sugar for the walnut sauce
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream for the walnut sauce
- 2-3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil for the filling
- 1 small onion for the filling
- 3 cloves of garlic for the filling
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon for the filling
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves for the filling
- 450 g ground (1lb) beef for the filling
- 130 g (0.3lb) chorizo for the filling
- salt, pepper to taste for the filling
- 2 tbsp sherry for the filling
- 1 cup crushed, fire roasted tomatoes for the filling
- 0.5 cup Golden raisins for the filling
- 2 tbsp almonds for the filling
- 1 small apple peeled, for the filling
- 1 small pear peeled, for the filling
- 1 peach peeled, for the filling
- 0.5 plantain ripe, for the filling
Instructions
- Pour the nuts into boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain the water and cool the nuts. After they are cooled you can peel them. Finally soak the peeled nuts in the milk and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
- Wash the peppers and place them on a gas stove, grill or a dry frying pan. Turn the peppers to char them on all sides, then put them in a bowl, cover and leave for 15 minutes. Make a slit in the side of each chili and carefully remove the seeds.
- Finely chop the onion, garlic and almonds. Cut the peeled pear, apple and plaintain into small cubes.
- Preheat the lard in a wide pan and fry over medium heat until onions turn translucent, then add the garlic and fry for 30-60 seconds. Next add the cinnamon and cloves and mix together. Add the ground beef and chorizo, stir and cook until meat is ready, then add the salt, pepper, sherry,tomatoes, raisins, chopped almonds, pear, apple, peach and plantain at the end, stir and cook 1-2 minutes.
- To prepare the sauce, put the soaked walnuts in a blender, and add 1/2 cup of the milk, add salt, sugar, cheese, sherry, cinnamon, and blend. At the end, add the whipping cream, and blend another 3 seconds.
- Stuff the peppers with the meat filling pour the walnut sauce on top and garnish with pomegranate seeds and cilantro or parsley leaves. Serve the peppers slightly warm or at room temperature.
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