Name: Chiles en Nogada
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Cuisine: MexicanLatin America & Caribbean
Ingredients: 8 large poblano chiles (5 to 6 ounces each); 2 plum tomatoes (4 ounces each); 8 ounces tomatillos , husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried; ½ large white onion , peeled and quartered through root end; 1 jalapeño chile , stemmed; 3 garlic cloves , unpeeled; 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano; 1¾ teaspoons table salt , divided; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon lard or vegetable oil; 1 pound ground pork; ¼ cup dry sherry; 1 Bosc pear , peeled, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (1 cup); 1 peach , peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (½ cup); ⅓ cup raisins; ⅓ cup pitted green olives , sliced thin; ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted; ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves plus ¼ cup chopped, divided; ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice; 1½ cups Mexican crema; 1½ cups walnuts; 2 ounces goat cheese; ¼ cup water; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon dry sherry; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon table salt

Chiles en Nogada

By Dominique Khoury

Published on August 7, 2023

Time

2¼ hours

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

Chiles

8 large poblano chiles (5 to 6 ounces each)

Picadillo

2 plum tomatoes (4 ounces each)8 ounces tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried½ large white onion, peeled and quartered through root end1 jalapeño chile, stemmed3 garlic cloves, unpeeled2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano 1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon lard or vegetable oil1 pound ground pork ¼ cup dry sherry 1 Bosc pear, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (1 cup)1 peach, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (½ cup)⅓ cup raisins ⅓ cup pitted green olives, sliced thin⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves plus ¼ cup chopped, divided½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice

Nogada

1½ cups Mexican crema 1½ cups walnuts 2 ounces goat cheese ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon dry sherry ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon table salt 1 cup pomegranate seeds

Before You Begin

Use poblanos that measure about 6 inches in length. For efficiency, broil the picadillo vegetables while the poblanos cool. When preparing the poblanos in step 2, it's helpful to have a bowl of water nearby for cleaning your hands and tools. Crème fraîche can be substituted for Mexican crema; if necessary, adjust its consistency with water to make it thick but pourable. The picadillo can be refrigerated for up to two days; microwave it until warm to the touch before stuffing the chiles. Serve this dish at room temperature.

Instructions

for the chiles

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Evenly space poblanos on prepared sheet and broil until skins just begin to blister on first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip poblanos and continue to broil until skins are just beginning to blister on second side, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer poblanos to second rimmed baking sheet and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes (do not wash foiled-lined sheet).

Using your fingers and paring knife, carefully peel poblanos and discard skins. Working with 1 poblano at a time, leaving stem intact and starting just beneath stem, cut slit lengthwise down 1 side of chile stopping ½ inch before end. Using kitchen shears, cut away interior seed bulb and discard, then use spoon to scoop out any remaining seeds. Return cleaned poblanos to baking sheet.

for the picadillo

While poblanos are cooling, place tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, and garlic on now-empty foil-lined sheet. Broil, turning every 4 minutes, until vegetables are lightly charred, 12 to 14 minutes. Let vegetables cool on sheet for 10 minutes.

Peel garlic, trim root end from onion, and remove stem from jalapeño. Add garlic, onion, and jalapeño to blender along with tomatoes, tomatillos, chipotle, oregano, 1¼ teaspoons salt, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin, and process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Heat lard in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and, using heat-resistant spatula, mash to even layer that covers bottom of skillet. Cook pork without moving until lightly browned around edges, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly and breaking up meat into ¼-inch pieces with side of spatula, until meat is almost cooked through but still slightly pink, about 2 minutes longer. Carefully add sherry and cook until reduced by half, 30 seconds. Add tomato mixture and bring to simmer. (Rinse out blender jar.) Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and spatula leaves trail that does not fill in when dragged through sauce, 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in pear, peach, raisins, olives, pine nuts, chopped parsley, lemon zest, and juice. Remove skillet from heat and let stand until mixture has cooled and fruit has softened, about 10 minutes (picadillo should be moist, without large pools of liquid remaining). Season with salt to taste.

for the nogada

Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.

Using spoon, carefully fill each poblano with about ¾ cup of picadillo, gently pressing filling into cavity so poblano is full but not bursting. Place filled poblanos on platter or individual plates. Spoon about ½ cup sauce over each poblano to cover entirely. Sprinkle with parsley leaves and pomegranate seeds. Serve.