Today we are going to present a very popular autumn specialty from Puebla – Chiles en Nogada – to coincide with the holiday on September 15th.
Probably the most patriotic in the country, this delicious dish combines Mexican cuisine with Mexican national pride.
According to legend, nuns from Puebla invented the Chiles en Nogada in honour of the Emperor Agustin de Iturbide in 1821. The latter had just signed the Cordoba contracts and was in transit from Mexiko City, making a small stop in Puebla. These contracts finally ended the long years of war for independence and represent an important milestone in the history of Mexico. In order to welcome the emperor as befits his status, the nuns decided to create a dish that represented the national flag with the national colours green (Chile), white (Nogada sauce) and red (pomegranate seeds).
Due to the numerous ingredients, it is not the easiest dish to cook, but the delicious result makes up for the effort!
– Preparation time is approx. 2 hours
– Ingredients for 5 medium-sized poblano peppers
Zutaten:
Relleno (Füllung):
- 40g butter
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
- 0.5 kg minced pork and beef
- 50g raisins
- 2 pears, finely chopped
- 2 plums, finely chopped
- 1 medium sized apple, finely chopped
- 0.5 kg roma tomatoes, finely chopped
- 75g walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
- 60g pine nuts
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 1 pinch of ground cloves
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 small branch of laurel
- 1 shot of dry sherry
- 1 spash of white wine
- Salt to taste
Nogada (Walnut sauce):
- 200g walnuts or pecans, peeled and soaked in milk
- 30 almonds, peeled and soaked in milk
- 1 cup milk
- 150g fresh cream
- 1/2 mug of whipped cream
- 1 tbsp sugar, disolved in a little water or honey
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 dash of dry or sweet sherry
- Salt to taste
Garnish:
- seeeds from 2 or 3 pomegranates
- 1/2 bunch of parsely, washed and finely chopped
Preparation:
Relleno – The Filling (approx. 2 hours):
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the cloves of garlic and let them turn golden brown. Then take them out of the oil. Chop the cloves of garlic and onions, then steam them until the onions are glassy. Add the meat, fry it and season it with salt and pepper.
2. Then add the raisins, plums, pears, apple and the fresh fruits. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. If the mixture is too dry, add a dash of white wine. Then add tomatoes, walnuts, pine nuts, spices, herbs and season the whole thing with sherry and white wine.
3. Let the whole thing simmer until it has a nice thick consistency. The approximate cooking time is two hours. Then let everything cool down.
Nogada – The Walnut Sauce (approx. 2 hours):
1. Let the peeled walnuts soak in milk. Then take them out of the milk and let them drain. Peel the almonds and let them soak in milk too. After 2 hours you can drain them. Grind the walnuts and almonds and slowly mix in the milk so that the sauce does not become watery.
2. Mix part of the fresh cream with the walnut-almond mixture and all of the other ingredients as well as the sugar at the end. Finally, season the sauce with cinnamon, sherry and salt.
3. Put the sauce in the fridge for 2 hours. When it gets thick, stir in more fresh cream and milk. The consistency should be creamy, but not too thick.
Chile – The Pepper:
1. Place the peppers in a hot pan and gently heat them under constant agitation so that they take on an even colour without burning. They should be crisp and not mushy. Take the roasted peppers out of the pan, cover them with a cloth and let them sweat a bit in their own heat.
2. Then clean the peppers, hollow them out and peel off the skin.
3. Now let the peppers drain and dry. Then fill them with the finished meat and fruit filling.
Serving:
The chiles lukewarm on a plate and cover them with a layer of Nogada walnut sauce, garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
We look forward to your feedback!
Good luck and…
Buen Provecho!
– Not interested in cooking, but want to visit Puebla?
or
