Recipe of Chiles en Nogada

Today’s recipe was sent to me directly from a friend of mine from Mexico. The recipe is quite long but the taste should pay off for the effort put into preparing it.

Origins

The dish itself originated in Puebla and was chosen as the official dish to celebrate the independence of Mexico from Spanish domination which formally took place on September 28, 1810.

It seems that the colors of this dish represent the flag of the army and it was invented by the Augustinian nuns of the convent of Santa Monica. White represents the purity of religion, green represents unity and red represents independence and faith.

Ingredients

• 8 poblano peppers;
• 2 red pomegranates, shelled;
• 80 grams of chopped parsley;
• 100 grams of onion, finely chopped;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 400 grams ground beef;
• 120 grams cornstarch, chopped;
• 50 grams raisins, hydrated;
• 100 grams almonds, peeled, toasted and chopped;
• 200 grams peaches, chopped;
• 200 grams pear, peeled and chopped;
• 200 grams golden apple, peeled and diced;
• 50 grams sugar;
• 5 grams cinnamon powder;
• salt, to taste;
• Pepper, to taste;
• 80 grams butter;
• 1/2 pound walnuts, peeled;
• 100 grams almonds, peeled;
• 220 grams cream cheese;
• 80 grams of sugar;
• 400 milliliters of white wine;
• nutmeg, to taste;
• cow’s milk (if necessary);

Preparation

• Place the chiles over direct heat in order to burn the skin, be careful not to burn them. Place them in a bag and let them sweat for 20 minutes, remove seeds, drain and set aside.
• For the filling, heat the lard, sweat the chopped onion and garlic, add the beef and pork and cook for 5 minutes, add the almonds, raisins, acitron and let cook a bit.
• Add the fruit (peaches, pears and apples) and cook for another 5 minutes, season and set aside.
• Nogada: put the white wine, almonds and walnuts on the fire; let it reduce and add nutmeg.
• Cool, whisk in cream, cheese and sugar, adjust consistency and flavor, fill chiles, top with sauce and garnish with chopped parsley and pomegranate seeds.

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to my friend for giving me the opportunity to learn about this dish that I will definitely try. Let me know if you have tried it and if you have any tips to give. I got really excited when I learned about the date and importance of this dish because it’s on my birthday (not the year).

Apparently a lot of important things happen around this time! Hugs my friends, see you next recipe.