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Chiles en nogada
Roasted poblanos stuffed with a fruit, nut and mushroom picadillo under walnut cream and pomegranate
Chiles en nogada belong to Puebla and to September, when fresh walnuts, peaches, pears and pomegranates are all in season and Mexico celebrates its independence: the green chilli, white walnut sauce and red pomegranate are the colours of the flag. Roasted poblano peppers are stuffed with picadillo, a sweet-savoury hash of fruit, nuts and spices, then cloaked in nogada, a cool sauce of fresh walnuts, milk and fresh cheese. Our vegetarian picadillo uses mushrooms for the savoury depth that minced meat usually gives. It is served at room temperature, never hot, as a centrepiece for a celebration lunch. Chef's tip: soak the walnuts in milk overnight and rub off as much of the papery skin as you can; the skins make the nogada bitter and grey. Use a fresh cheese made with vegetarian rennet.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the nogada (soak the walnuts overnight)
For the chillies
For the picadillo
To serve
Method
0/13 doneStep 1: The night before, cover 5 ½ oz walnut halves with half of ¾ cup whole milk and refrigerate. Soaking softens the thin skins so they rub off, and plumps the nuts for a silkier sauce.
5 minStep 2: Drain the walnuts (discard the milk) and rub off as much of the brown skin as you can with your fingers or a small knife. It is slow work, 20 minutes or so; do it while listening to something. Perfection isn't needed, but the more you remove, the whiter and sweeter the sauce.
20 minStep 3: Blend the walnuts with the rest of ¾ cup whole milk, 3 ½ oz queso fresco, ½ cup double cream, 1 tbsp dry sherry, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 1 pinch ground cinnamon and 1 pinch salt until very smooth and pourable, like thick double cream. Taste: it should be gently sweet and nutty. Chill until serving.
3 minStep 4: Roast 6 poblano peppers directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill, turning with tongs, until blistered and black all over, 8–10 minutes. Char them evenly but don't linger: you want to cook the skin, not the flesh, so the chilli stays firm enough to stuff.
10 minStep 5: Put the hot chillies in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave to sweat for 10 minutes. The steam loosens the skin.
10 minStep 6: Peel off the blackened skin with your fingers; don't rinse under the tap or you wash away flavour. Make a slit down one side and carefully pull out the seed pod and veins with a teaspoon, keeping the stalk on. Taste a corner: if they are very hot, soak them in salted water for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 7: For the picadillo, heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook 1 white onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then add 2 cloves garlic for 1 minute.
6 minStep 8: Turn the heat to high, add 14 oz chestnut mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes, until their liquid has evaporated and they are browned and sizzling. Don't salt yet; salt draws out water and stops them browning.
10 minStep 9: Add 3 ripe tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until thick and jammy.
5 minStep 10: Stir in 1 apple, 1 pear, 1 ripe plantain, 1 ⅜ oz raisins, 1 ⅜ oz blanched almonds, 2 tbsp pine nuts, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 pinch ground cloves and 1 tsp salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring gently, until the apple and pear are tender but still hold their shape.
10 minStep 11: Fold in 1 peach and cook 2 minutes more. The picadillo should be moist but not wet, sweet and savoury in equal measure. Leave to cool until just warm.
2 minStep 12: Stuff each chilli generously with picadillo and close the edges over the filling. Lay them seam side down on a platter or plates.
10 minStep 13: Just before serving, spoon the cold the nogada over each chilli to cover it completely. Scatter with 1 pomegranate and ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley. Serve warm-to-room-temperature: the contrast of the cool sauce over the gently warm chilli is the point of the dish.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chiles en nogada take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of double cream?
- Whipping cream, same amount (less rich; whips softer).
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