Description
Chiles en Nogada is a traditional Mexican dish composed of poblano chiles filled with a sweet and savory meat mixture, topped with a creamy walnut sauce, and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley, reflecting the colors of the Mexican flag.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 large poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¾ pounds ground pork (can substitute with ground beef or turkey)
- 2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
- 1 ripe plantain, chopped
- 1 apple, peeled and diced
- 1 fresh peach, peeled and diced
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons candied orange peel, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 2 tablespoons blanched almonds, chopped
- 4 whole cloves, ground
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2½ cups walnuts, soaked overnight and peeled
- 1¾ cups milk
- ¾ cup soft goat cheese (or cream cheese)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 1 inch)
- Pinch of salt
- 1½ cups pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Roast poblanos directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until skin blisters and blackens on all sides.
- Place roasted chiles in a plastic bag and close it, allowing them to steam for 10 minutes.
- Gently peel off the charred skin without tearing the chiles.
- Make a slit lengthwise in each chile and carefully remove seeds and membranes.
- Rinse chiles under cool water to remove any remaining seeds. Pat dry and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ground pork and cook until browned.
- Add tomatoes and cook until most liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add plantain, apple, peach, parsley, candied orange peel, pine nuts, raisins, almonds, ground cloves, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir well and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Place peeled walnuts, milk, goat cheese, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve for extra smoothness (optional). Season with salt and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Stuff each poblano chile with the picadillo filling carefully.
- Place stuffed chiles on serving plates and pour chilled walnut sauce generously over each chile.
- Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Choose large, firm poblanos with stems intact for the most beautiful presentation.
- For the whitest sauce, blanch walnuts briefly in boiling water to easily remove bitter skins.
- The filling can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated to develop flavors.
- Chiles en Nogada are traditionally served at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed chile
- Calories: 475
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 0
- Fat: 32
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 0