Chiles en Nogada

Chiles en Nogada

A roasted poblano stuffed with a sweet-savory picadillo, bathed in a creamy walnut sauce and garnished with pomegranate and parsley — the colors of the Mexican flag, traditionally served around Independence Day.

Prep

45 min

Cook

60 min

Total

105 min

Serves

6 chiles

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •6 whole poblano peppers, large, fresh and unblemished
• •300 g (10½ oz) beef sirloin, finely diced, or a mix of beef and pork
• •60 g (¼ cup) raisins, or chopped dried apricots
• •60 g (½ cup) slivered almonds, toasted
• •1 small apple, peeled and diced, Reineta or Granny Smith
• •1 small pear, peeled and diced, or substitute with a second apple
• •2 tbsp pine nuts
• •1 small white onion, finely chopped
• •2 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil
• •1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• •black pepper, ½, freshly ground
• •1 pinch ground clove
• •1 pinch ground cinnamon
• •1 tsp tomato paste
• •2 whole eggs, lightly beaten, for binding the picadillo
• •200 g (7 oz / about 1¾ cups) shelled walnuts, fresh, preferably; pre-soaked 1 hour if not very fresh
• •200 g (scant 1 cup) Mexican crema, substitute: 120 ml sour cream + 80 ml milk
• •120 g (1 cup grated) fresh cheese (queso fresco or mild feta), substitute: mild feta, well-drained
• •60 ml (¼ cup) sherry or sweet wine (Pedro Ximénez ideal), optional but traditional
• •1 tsp sugar, or honey, to taste
• •salt, ½, for the nogada
• •1 large pomegranate, only the seeds (about 150 g / 1 cup)
• •10 g (¼ cup chopped) flat-leaf parsley, fresh, finely chopped

Steps

1. 1 Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under a hot broiler until the skin is blackened and blistered on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Place them in a covered bowl or sealed bag to sweat for 15 minutes; this loosens the skins.
2. 2 Once cool, peel the blackened skin off gently without tearing the flesh. Make a lengthwise slit about 5 cm long on one side of each pepper and carefully remove the seed cluster under running water — leave the stem intact. Pat dry and set aside.
3. 3 Make the picadillo: heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
4. 4 Add the diced beef and brown evenly, about 6-8 minutes. Cook until no pink remains and the meat is fully done — internal temperature should reach 71°C / 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
5. 5 Stir in the apple, pear, raisins, almonds and pine nuts. Cook 3-4 minutes to soften the fruit slightly.
6. 6 Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, clove and cinnamon. Stir to coat and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes, then stir in the beaten eggs so they just bind the mixture without scrambling. Adjust salt. The picadillo should be moist but not runny; if loose, simmer 1-2 more minutes.
7. 7 Stuff each poblano with the picadillo, taking care not to overfill (about 60-70 g per chile). Press gently to close the slit; the peppers do not need to be sealed.
8. 8 Make the nogada (walnut sauce): blend the walnuts, crema, fresh cheese, sherry, sugar and salt until very smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. The consistency should be like a pourable cream sauce; loosen with a splash of milk if too thick, or chill briefly if too thin.
9. 9 To serve: spoon a generous pool of walnut sauce on each plate. Lay a stuffed poblano on top and spoon a little sauce over the chile.
10. 10 Garnish each chile with a scattering of bright red pomegranate seeds and finely chopped green parsley, recreating the tricolor of the Mexican flag. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled, accompanied by warm corn tortillas or a dry Mexican red wine. If preparing in advance, keep the walnuts, sauce and stuffed chiles separate and assemble just before serving so the colors stay vivid.