Chiles en Nogada

A fleshy pepper, charred and peeled, stuffed with a blend of meat and autumn fruits. The snowy white walnut sauce coats the dish while pomegranate seeds burst with every bite.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 60 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1281
• Protein: 33 g
• Carbs: 64 g
• Fat: 95 g

Ingredients

• 500 g Pork and beef stuffing ( ground )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely minced )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 2 piece Round tomato ( diced )
• 1 piece Malus domestica Borkhausen ( finely diced )
• 1 piece Pear ( finely diced )
• 1 piece Peach ( finely diced )
• 50 g Raisin
• 50 g Almond with skin ( crushed )
• 1 tsp Cinnamon ground
• 1 pinch Clove ( ground )
• 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 200 g Walnut kernel ( peeled if possible )
• 100 g Fresh cheese
• 100 ml Cream
• 50 ml Whole milk
• 1 tbsp White sugar
• 1 piece Pomegranate ( seeded )
• 1 piece Flat-leaf parsley ( leaves only )
• 4 piece Poblano Pepper ( whole )

Instructions

1. Char and peel the peppers

   Place the peppers directly over a flame or under the broiler. The skin must blister and blacken evenly. Place them in a bag for 10 minutes so the steam loosens the skin, then peel carefully. Slit one side to remove seeds without tearing the flesh.

2. Cook the picadillo

   Sauté chopped onion and garlic in oil. Add the meat and sear well. Stir in diced tomatoes, apple, pear, and peach, along with raisins and crushed almonds. Season with cinnamon and clove. Reduce until the filling is dry and flavors are concentrated.

3. Prepare the nogada

   Blend walnuts, fresh cheese, cream, and milk with a pinch of sugar. The sauce should be smooth and coat the back of a spoon. If too thick, thin it with a little milk.

4. Plate and garnish

   Generously stuff each pepper with the picadillo. Place them on the plate and cover completely with cold nogada sauce. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and flat parsley leaves to represent the flag colors.

Chef's tips

• Don't skip the plastic bag step for the peppers: steam is your best friend for removing the skin without damaging the flesh.
• The filling must be well reduced: if liquid remains, the pepper will get soggy and the sauce will slide off instead of coating.
• For a perfectly white nogada sauce, remove the thin brown skin from the walnuts by soaking them in warm milk.

Storage

This dish is best enjoyed fresh. The sauce keeps for 24 hours in the fridge, but the stuffed pepper does not freeze well.