Chiles en Nogada

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven grill to high. Char the poblano chillies on a tray under the grill, turning every few minutes, until blistered and blackened all over, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let them steam for 10 minutes so the skins loosen.

2. 2

   While the chillies steam, heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the white onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

3. 3

   Add the pork mince and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up well, until no longer pink and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Browning builds depth, so let a few edges caramelise before stirring.

4. 4

   Stir in the tomato, peach, pear, chopped almonds, raisins, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, dried oregano, fine salt, and black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit softens, the mince is glossy, and the filling is moist but not wet. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then remove from the heat.

5. 5

   Rub the steamed poblano chillies gently with your fingers or a clean towel to remove the charred skin. Make a slit lengthwise in each chilli and carefully remove the seeds, keeping the stem attached and the chilli as intact as possible.

6. 6

   For the nogada, blend the walnuts, fresh goat's cheese, Mexican crema or crème fraîche, milk, sugar, and fine salt until smooth, thick, and spoonable. If needed, add a splash more milk; the sauce should coat the chilli rather than run off completely.

7. 7

   Gently stuff the peeled poblano chillies with the warm picadillo, pressing just enough to fill them generously without tearing. If the filling has cooled, rewarm it briefly so the finished dish has a pleasant hot-cold contrast with the sauce.

8. 8

   Place the stuffed chillies on plates and spoon the nogada generously over the top, leaving some green visible for the traditional tricolour presentation. Scatter with pomegranate seeds and flat-leaf parsley leaves, then serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •For a more traditional flavour, use freshly peeled walnuts if available; unpeeled walnuts can make the sauce slightly bitter and darker.
• •Chiles en Nogada is classically served at room temperature or just slightly warm, but for a 60-minute version, serving the filling warm with cool nogada works beautifully.
• •If the poblano chillies are very hot, soak them briefly in salted water after peeling and seeding to soften their heat without losing flavour.
• •Serve with warm bolillo or crusty bread to catch extra nogada.

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