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Chiles en Nogada

Origins and History of a Traditional Mexican Dish

By Suzanne Barbezat, About.com Guide

The chile en nogada is a traditional Mexican dish made with poblano
chiles stuffed with a mixture of meat and dried fruits, covered in
walnut sauce, and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley. It is
said that this dish was invented in the 1800s by nuns in Puebla.
History of Chiles en Nogada
Agustin de Iturbide was a military commander who fought in Mexico's
War of Independence, and later went on to become Emperor of Mexico
from 1822 to 1823. In August of 1821, he signed the Treaty of Cordoba,
which granted Mexico its independence. The treaty was signed in
Veracruz and afterward he traveled to Mexico City. Stopping on the way
in Puebla, the townspeople decided to hold a feast to celebrate the
country's independence from Spain, and to honor Agustin de Iturbide on
his saints' day (Feast of Saint Augustine of Hippo, August 28). The
Augustinian nuns of Santa Monica convent wanted to prepare a special
dish using local ingredients that were in season. They came up with
the chile en nogada, which means chile in walnut sauce.

Chiles en Nogada Season
Chiles en Nogada is a seasonal dish. It is prepared and eaten during
the months of August and September, which is the time of year when the
key ingredients, the pomegranates and walnuts, are in season. Chile en
nogada season also coincides with Mexican Independence day
festivities. Since this dish contains ingredients that are the colors
of Mexico's flag - red, white, and green - it is considered a very
patriotic and festive dish. If you happen to be in Mexico during Chile
en Nogada season, be sure to try it.

Where to Try Chiles en Nogada
There are many restaurants in Mexico where you can sample Chiles en
Nogada during summer and fall. In Mexico City, good restaurants to
sample this traditional Mexican dish are the Hosteria de Santo
Domingo, or Azul y Oro. In Puebla, where the dish originated, the Casa
de los Muñecos restaurant is a popular choice. If you like to cook,
consider making your own chiles en nogada. Here's a recipe for chiles
en nogada from About.com's Guide to Mexican Food, or try this
vegetarian version.

Recipe"
A wonderful dish consisting of a green chile, white walnut sauce and
red pomegranate- the colors of the Mexican flag. This dish is a
Mexican Independence day favorite.

Ingredients:
•6 large green chiles, for stuffing
•3/4 cup crema or sour cream
•1/2 teaspoon sugar
•1/4 cup evaporated milk
•1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
•1 pomegranate, seeds separated
•1/2 lb ground pork or beef
•3 garlic cloves
•1/4 of an onion, peeled and diced
•1 tablespoon lard or vegetable oil
•1 apple, peeled, cored and seeded, coarsely chopped
•2 tablespoons unsalted almonds, chopped
•1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
•pinch of nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon cumin
•1 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
•2 tablespoons raisins, softened in warm water
•3 eggs

Preparation:

Roast the chiles and remove the skins and seeds.
Heat the oil or lard over medium heat in a large pan. Add in the beef
or pork and brown until nearly done. Add in the garlic, onion, apple,
almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, pinch of salt and pepper and cook
for about 5 minutes.

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with a mixer or a whisk. Fold in
the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Dip each stuffed chile in the egg
mixture and fry until golden brown.

Stuff the chiles with equal portions of the stuffing. Blend or mix the
crema, walnuts and sugar with the evaporated milk. Pour over the
freshly cooked chiles and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Vegetarian "Picadillo"

One onion, diced
Two cloves of garlic, minced
Four small zucchini, diced (preferably green skinned to fit into the
red, white, green theme)
Three tomatoes, diced
1/2 t. cinnamon, preferably the Mexican variety
1/4 t. Ground cloves
1/8 t. Ground nutmeg
1 t. Salt
A few dried apricots, diced
1/2 c. raisins
A few dried peaches or nectarines, diced
One apple, peeled, cored and diced
3/4 c. cheese curd (see note below)
(Unit conversion page)

Place a wide skillet over medium heat. Add oil and cook the onion
until it is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the
zucchini, cook for a few minutes, then the tomato, dried fruit, salt
and spices. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes to allow the
flavors to blend.

Add the apple and cheese curds and cook until heated through.

Use as a stuffing for chiles en nogada, as a non-standard filling for
a quesadilla or burrito, or as a vegetable dish to be served over
rice. In the winter the zucchini could be replaced by a winter squash
or potato, the fresh tomatoes with frozen or canned tomatoes.

Note: cheese curds are essentially cheese that has not been pressed or
aged. They are made by stopping the cheese-making process soon after
the enzymes and coagulant are added to the hot milk, then removing the
curds for rinsing and packaging. They worked well for me in this
preparation because they held their shape and also came in convenient
sizes. If you can't find curds, you could also subsitute a non-melting
cheese like queso fresco or a very mild feta.

Janet US

On 2013-01-26 23:42:04 +0000, Janet Bostwick said:

> Chiles en Nogada

Thanks for the head's up on this dish. I love walnuts and it sounds
fantastic. I also find that there are a number of places nearby (here
in SoCal) that serve it. I'm surprised I've never noted or tried it.
Soon that will end.

On Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:19:50 -0800, gtr > wrote:

>On 2013-01-26 23:42:04 +0000, Janet Bostwick said:
>
>> Chiles en Nogada
>
>Thanks for the head's up on this dish. I love walnuts and it sounds
>fantastic. I also find that there are a number of places nearby (here
>in SoCal) that serve it. I'm surprised I've never noted or tried it.
>Soon that will end.
>
you're welcome.
Janet US