Chiles en Nogada, poblano chiles stuffed with a ground pork picadillo, covered in a creamy walnut sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. From Puebla, Mexico.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1/4 cup corn oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, halved
- ½ cup diced onion
- 500 grams ground pork
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon corn oil
- 500 grams puréed tomato, strained
- 1/4 cup almonds, skinned and halved
- 1/4 cup chopped raisins
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 cloves
- ½ stick cinnamon, 3 cm long
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons corn oil for frying the fruit
- 2 cups apples, in small cubes
- 2 cups San Juan pears, in small cubes
- 2 cups yellow peaches, in small cubes
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup oil to fry the plantains
- 2 cups plantains, in small cubes
- 1/2 cup citron, in small cubes (1 square of citron)
- 50 grams pine nuts, skinned
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Walnut Sauce
- 1/2 cup almonds, skinned and soaked in water
- 2 1/2 cups cold water
- 290 grams Puebla goat cheese (2 pieces) or queso fresco
- 4 cups walnuts, clean
Chiles
- 10 poblano chiles, clean
To serve
- 1 red pomegranate, separated into seeds (1 cup seeds)
- Sprigs of parsley
Instructions
Filling
- Fry 2 garlic cloves in ¼ cup of oil until completely browned. Fry the onion until translucent, add the meat, salt and water. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender. Remove the cover so all the liquid will evaporate.
- In another frying pan heat the other 3 tablespoons of oil, brown 2 cloves of garlic and discard them. Fry the onion until translucent, add the tomato and cook for a bit. Add the almonds, raisins, olives, and parsley. Season.
- Grind the clove, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Add to the tomato mixture, and remove from the stove.
- Heat the other ¼ cup of oil in another frying pan and brown 2 cloves of garlic and discard them. Fry the apples, pears, and peaches but do not overcook them. Add the sugar.
- In another pan, fry the plantains until lightly browned.
- Mix all the ingredients and set aside to cool.
Walnut Sauce
- Mix all the ingredients except the water. Blend until they emulsify, adding the water a little at a time without the mixture becoming watery.
Chiles
- Dry the inside of the chiles and stuff them with the filling. Close with a toothpick.
To Serve
- Place the chiles on a platter, cover with the walnut sauce, and garnish with parsley and pomegranate seeds.
