**A Culinary Journey to Mexico: Unraveling the Enigmatic Chile Relleno en Nogada**
In the heart of Mexican cuisine, where flavors dance and traditions intertwine, lies a dish that captivates the senses and embodies the nation's rich culinary heritage: Chile Relleno en Nogada. This iconic dish, a symphony of textures and tastes, is a testament to Mexico's vibrant history, blending indigenous ingredients with European influences to create a masterpiece.
Prepare to embark on a culinary adventure as we delve into the intricacies of Chile Relleno en Nogada, exploring its unique components and unraveling the stories behind each. Discover the secrets of selecting the perfect poblano chiles, mastering the art of stuffing them with a delectable picadillo filling, and crafting the delicate walnut-based nogada sauce that crowns this culinary gem.
Along the way, we'll uncover the fascinating history of this dish, tracing its roots back to the convents of Puebla, where nuns ingeniously combined local ingredients to create a dish that would become a symbol of Mexican independence. Learn about the significance of the green, white, and red pomegranate seeds that adorn the Chile Relleno en Nogada, representing the colors of the Mexican flag and evoking a sense of national pride.
But our journey doesn't stop there. We'll also explore variations of this beloved dish, including the Chile Relleno de Atún, which substitutes tuna for the traditional picadillo filling, and the Chile Relleno de Rajas, a vegetarian delight featuring roasted poblano strips. Each variation adds a unique twist to the classic, showcasing the versatility and adaptability of this culinary masterpiece.
So, join us on this tantalizing expedition into the world of Chile Relleno en Nogada. Let your taste buds rejoice as you uncover the secrets of this iconic dish, delve into its historical significance, and discover the diverse culinary landscapes of Mexico. Prepare to be captivated by the flavors, textures, and stories that make Chile Relleno en Nogada a true treasure of Mexican gastronomy.
CHILES EN NOGADA (CHILIES IN WALNUT SAUCE)
This chiles en nogada recipe is a special occasion Mexican dish from Puebla. Ours is made with roasted poblano chilies stuffed with a ground turkey picadillo, covered in a creamy walnut sauce, and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. It's an extraordinary blend of flavors.
Provided by Elise Bauer
Categories Dinner Chiles Pomegranate Pork Walnut
Time 10h45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 26
Steps:
- Remove the walnut skins: Remove the papery bitter skins from the walnut pieces. (This is the hard part.) Sometimes the skins easily rub off. I have found that usually, for us, the skins don't easily peel off and we need to blanch them for 1 minute in boiling water first, to loosen the skins. If you blanch the walnuts, let them cool to the touch and carefully peel off as much of the bitter skins as you can. This is painstaking work, but unless your walnuts are shed of their bitter skins, the sauce may be a bit bitter.
- Soak the walnuts overnight: Place the skinned walnuts in a bowl, cover them with milk to soak, and chill them overnight in the refrigerator.
- Char the chiles: Place the chiles directly over the flame of a gas stove, or place under a hot broiler, to char the outside tough skin. Turn the chiles to char them on all sides. Get as much of the outside skin blackened as possible, it will be easier to remove that way.
- Remove the skins: Place the blackened chiles in a bowl, cover with a plate or damp clean towel, and let sit for 20 minutes. The burned skin will then flake off very easily and the flesh will become a little more cooked in the steam so the skin will flake/peel off easily. Discard the skin.
- Remove the seeds: Make a slit in the side of each chile and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Be careful to leave the top of the chile, the part around the base of the stem, intact. Rinse the chiles and pat them dry.
- Blend sauce ingredients: Drain the walnuts. Place the soaked and drained walnuts, the queso fresco, sour cream, sugar, and cinnamon into a blender and purée until completely smooth.
- Brown the ground turkey: Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large wide saucepan on medium high heat. Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, brown the meat on at least one side, sprinkling the meat with a little kosher salt as it cooks. Add another tablespoon of oil if needed for the subsequent batches. Remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
- Sauté the onion and add the seasonings: Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat on medium. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the butter, return the turkey, and add tomatoes, raisins, almonds, and apples: Melt butter in the pan and return the ground meat to the pan, using use wooden spoon to break up any clumps. Add the crushed tomatoes, golden raisins, and chopped slivered almonds. If the mixture seems a little dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. Add chopped apple to the picadillo mixture. Adjust spices, add more cinnamon, salt, ground cloves to taste (go easy on the cloves, they can overpower).
- Stuff the chiles: Stuff the chiles with the picadillo until they are well filled out. Place them on individual plates or on a serving platter.
- To serve, cover the stuffed chiles with the walnut sauce and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped fresh parsley or cilantro.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 669 kcal, Carbohydrate 33 g, Cholesterol 159 mg, Fiber 4 g, Protein 33 g, SaturatedFat 16 g, Sodium 396 mg, Sugar 24 g, Fat 47 g, ServingSize Serves 6., UnsaturatedFat 0 g
CHILES EN NOGADA (MEXICAN STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS IN WALNUT SAUCE)
This traditional Mexican dish is from the area of Puebla. Poblano chiles are stuffed with a flavorful ground pork stuffing, then covered in a creamy walnut sauce and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley. The long list of ingredients is deceiving - this make ahead dish is quite easy once you have all your ingredients!
Provided by mega2408
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 1h35m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Roast poblano chiles over an open flame on a gas stove or grill until the skin is black and charred on all sides, turning often, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Place the charred chiles in a plastic bag or in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then open and peel off the skin. Cut a slit in each chile lengthwise and remove the seeds.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ground pork and cook until browned, breaking up with a spoon while cooking, about 7 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, plantain, apple, peach, parsley, candied orange peel, pine nuts, raisins, almonds, cloves, salt, and pepper. Simmer until filling is cooked through and flavors are well combined, about 10 minutes.
- Combine walnuts, milk, goat cheese, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a blender; blend until walnut sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Fill each poblano chile with the pork filling and place on a plate. Spoon walnut sauce over chile and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 724.3 calories, Carbohydrate 41.4 g, Cholesterol 85.5 mg, Fat 50.5 g, Fiber 8.5 g, Protein 33.8 g, SaturatedFat 13.2 g, Sodium 226.7 mg, Sugar 22.7 g
CHILES EN NOGADA
Considered by many to be the national dish of Mexico, chiles en nogada showcases the colors of the country's flag: green, white and red. Created by nuns in Puebla in 1821, the dish was presented to the general of the Mexican Army, Agustín de Iturbide, after he signing the treaty that recognized Mexico's independence from Spain. The nuns used the best of the late-season harvest in the dish, including poblano chiles, peaches, pears, apples and walnuts grown in farms near Puebla. The original dish was stuffed, battered and fried, and significantly heartier than this version. Here, fresh poblanos are fried until lightly cooked, peeled, stuffed, topped with creamy walnut sauce, then eaten at room temperature. It's served throughout the country every September, in honor of Mexico's Independence Day.
Provided by Rick A. Martinez
Categories dinner, meat, vegetables, main course
Time 1h30m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 27
Steps:
- Make the picadillo: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high. Spread pork in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up meat with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until meat is crumbled and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a large bowl and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, apple, pear, plantain, garlic and 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. Add 1 teaspoon pepper, the oregano, cinnamon and clove, and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, 1 minute.
- Stir in sherry and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and no longer smells of alcohol, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juices, peach, raisins and almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked pork, olives, lemon zest and 1 cup water, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated, the vegetables and fruit are tender and the pork is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and set aside until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, fry the poblanos: Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan fitted with a deep-fry thermometer on high until thermometer registers 375 degrees. Working in four batches, fry the poblanos, turning once, until skin is opaque and blistered, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer poblanos to a large, heatproof bowl, wrap tightly with plastic and let sit 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin from chiles, leaving stem intact. Chiles should still be firm and bright green. Using a paring knife, make a 2-inch cut (about 1 inch from the top) lengthwise down the side of each poblano and carefully remove seeds and ribs.
- Place the poblanos cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and fill each with about 1/2 cup picadillo, gently pressing the filling into the poblanos with the back of a spoon, until full but not bursting or splitting. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: Purée the walnuts, almonds, crème fraîche and queso fresco with 1 1/4 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until creamy. Season with salt and thin with more water, if necessary.
- Serve stuffed chiles at room temperature topped with nogada sauce, pomegranate seeds and parsley leaves.
CHILES EN NOGADA
Steps:
- For the chiles: Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the canola oil when hot. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken starts to turn white, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the onions and continue to saute until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the apple, apricot, pear, raisins and garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir so the paste coats all of the ingredients. Add the red wine and cook until the chicken is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Remove the seeds from the peppers by making one long slice down the sides, stuff them with the chicken-fruit mixture and keep warm until ready to serve.
- For the nogada sauce: Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat, add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the garlic has turned a light caramel color, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and reduce until almost gone, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and finish with the almonds.
- For serving: Place each stuffed pepper on a plate and spoon some of the nogada sauce over top. Garnish with the cilantro and pomegranate seeds.
CHILES IN SAUCE: CHILES EN NOGADA
Steps:
- Roast poblano chiles over open flame. Cool in a paper bag, remove skin and seeds.
- For the nogada, in a blender add the nuts, the almonds, and the fresh cheese. Control the thickness of the mix by adding milk and sherry, and season with sugar as needed. Set aside.
- In a saute pan, add the lard, onion, and garlic, then add meats and saute. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the biznaga with the clove, cinnamon, black pepper, and pour into the mix seasoning with sugar and salt.
- Blend all fruits, olives, capers, almonds, and dry sherry. When the mix is cool, stuff the chiles with it. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add blended yolks.
- In a frying pan, heat oil. Cover stuffed chiles with a thin coat of flour and then into the egg batter. Fry the chiles until golden brown. Turn chiles as they cook to make a nice round shape.
- Put the fried chile on a decorative platter, cover the whole chile with the nogada, and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on the top, and garnish with two sprigs of fresh parsley.
CHILES EN NOGADA
Steps:
- For the chiles: In a medium saute pan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the chicken and cook until it starts to turn white, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, apricots, cranberries, pears, raisins and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the wine and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with sugar, salt and pepper, and then remove from the heat.
- Stuff each roasted poblano pepper with one-quarter of the chicken mixture and set aside.
- For the sauce: In a medium saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the shallots in the vegetable oil until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it turns a light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is almost completely evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 more minutes. Stir in the almonds and season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, place each stuffed poblano pepper on a plate and top with 2 tablespoons sauce. Garnish with the cilantro and pomegranate seeds.
CHILES EN NOGADA
Provided by Food Network
Yield 6 entree or 12 starter serving
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Make a vertical slit down the side of each chile and carefully remove the seeds, leaving the stem intact.
- Mix the veal and pork in a bowl. Add the salt and pepper.
- In a large heavy skillet, over a medium heat, cook the oil with the onion until translucent. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking up any clumps, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the almonds, pine nuts, cactus, raisins, and epazote. Cook and stir constantly, until the meat is done.
- Remove the meat mixture from the heat and let cool.
- Stuff the chiles with the meat mixture and put them on an ovenproof platter, covered with loosely tented foil. Place the platter in a warm oven while finishing the sauce.
- Place the walnuts in a blender. With the motor running, add the milk slowly, until smooth and thick. Add the cream and blend well.
- Cover the chiles with the walnut sauce and garnish with the pomegranate seeds and parsley.
CHILE RELLENOS EN NOGADA
Chile rellenos appear on the menu in most Tex-Mex Restaurants; however, this recipe takes them a step further with the addition of nuts - namely pecans! Recipe is taken from my "In Praise of Pecans" cookbook.
Provided by DailyInspiration
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 1h15m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- In a shallow bowl, soak bread in milk. Mix pecans and cream cheese; add to bread with sugar, cinnamon and salt. Chill until serving.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Roast the peppers for 10-15 minutes, turning on all sides until blistered and blackened. Meanwhile in a skillet, brown the meat. Add tomatoes and onion; saute for 2-3 minutes. Stir in pecans, raisins, cheese, (banana, if desired), cinnamon, cloves and salt; set aside.
- Place peppers in a paper bag; let stand for 5-10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Remove one pepper at a time and peel charred skin (do not wash); slit lengthwise and remove seeds. Carefully fill each pepper with meat mixture. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with chilled sauce. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds if desire.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 594.5, Fat 43.2, SaturatedFat 15.6, Cholesterol 105.7, Sodium 290, Carbohydrate 32.1, Fiber 6.8, Sugar 12.5, Protein 24.6
CHILES EN NOGADA (STUFFED POBLANO CHILE PEPPERS)
A savory/sweet stuffing of chicken, raisins, walnuts, sugar and spices fills these chile peppers with flavor. Topped with a creamy goat cheese sauce and garnished with fresh chopped cilantro, this dish is a treat for both eyes and palette. Muy sabroso (very flavorful)!
Provided by Lucy Loo
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 1h30m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Place chicken in a large pot with the halved onion, two carrots, one stalk celery, and 1 clove garlic, and cover with water. Boil until done. Slice meat into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic until soft, then add chicken, raisins, brown sugar, 4 ounces walnuts, pepper and bay leaves. Mix together and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, then stir in vinegar, cilantro and tomato paste; reduce heat to low and let all simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Cut a slit in each chile pepper along one side, lengthwise, so that they can be reconstructed after they are stuffed. Stuff each chile pepper with cooled chicken mixture and place in preheated oven to keep warm.
- To Make Sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, sour cream, 8 ounces walnuts, nutmeg and granulated sugar. Heat, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes. When blended together, pour sauce over warm chile peppers and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 942.3 calories, Carbohydrate 30.3 g, Cholesterol 152.9 mg, Fat 81 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 28.7 g, SaturatedFat 31.4 g, Sodium 375.2 mg, Sugar 18.7 g
DIANA DáVILA'S CHILES RELLENOS
In her singular take on chiles rellenos, Diana Dávila crosses two classic Mexican preparations of the dish - chiles rellenos ahogados and chiles en nogada - to come up with her own remarkable variation. Roasted, peeled poblanos are stuffed with a ground meat picadillo spiked with apples, raisins, cider vinegar and brown sugar, then dunked in a feathery egg batter and fried until golden. Just before serving, those stuffed, fried chiles are bathed in a brothy tomato sauce lightened with carrot juice. It does take time to put all the elements together, but you won't regret a minute of it when you taste what might be the best chiles rellenos you've ever had: complex, sweet and spicy, and deeply brawny. At Mi Tocaya Antojería, her restaurant in Chicago, Ms. Dávila uses a combination of chopped duck confit and ground pork for the picadillo. But using all ground pork works equally well.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories meat, vegetables, main course
Time 2h30m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 27
Steps:
- Prepare the sauce: In a large bowl, toss plum and cherry tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to smush the tomatoes until their skins soften and break apart, then let sit for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, sliced chiles and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their liquid, bring to a simmer, and continue to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in carrot juice, stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer for another 20 minutes. The sauce should be thin and brothy. Use an immersion blender (or transfer mixture to a regular blender) and blend briefly; the mixture should still be somewhat chunky. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. (Sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.)
- Make the filling: In a large skillet, heat the duck fat or oil over medium heat. Add the onion, apple, garlic and salt, and cook, stirring, until the apples and onions soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in raisins, vinegar and brown sugar, and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in pork and red-pepper flakes, and use a metal spoon to break up the pork into pieces. Cook until pork is no longer pink and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat and let the pork take on a little color at the edges, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat. (Filling can be made up to 3 days ahead.)
- Roast the poblanos: Heat the broiler, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange poblanos in an even layer, and broil until blackened on one side, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn over and blacken the other side, another 4 to 6 minutes, then transfer to a large heat-proof bowl. Cover and let steam until softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Peel the blackened skin off the poblanos, then cut a slit in one side of each pepper and remove seeds (keep the stems). Using paper towels to wipe away the skins and slippery seeds can help with this task.
- Stuff the poblanos with the filling, folding poblano seams together. Place flour on a plate, and gently roll stuffed peppers in flour to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes. (Freezing is optional, but this will make them easier to fry.)
- Make the batter: Place egg yolks in a large bowl and beat until frothy. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip to stiff peaks. Fold the egg yolks into the whites, along with a pinch of salt.
- Heat 1 1/4 inches of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat (it's hot enough when a drop of batter sizzles in the oil). When hot, dip one pepper by its stem into egg batter, then transfer to hot oil. Fry until golden on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining peppers, making sure not to crowd the pan. Transfer fried peppers as they cook to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet, and immediately sprinkle with salt.
- When all the peppers are fried, reheat sauce. Lower peppers into sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, so the batter absorbs the sauce. Transfer to serving plates and spoon more sauce on top. Sprinkle with epazote, if using, and cilantro.
Tips:
- Mise en place: Before you start cooking, make sure you have all of your ingredients and equipment ready. This will help you stay organized and avoid scrambling.
- Choose the right poblano peppers: Look for poblano peppers that are large, dark green, and have smooth skin. Avoid peppers that are bruised or have blemishes.
- Roast the poblano peppers evenly: To ensure that the peppers are evenly roasted, turn them frequently while they are in the oven or on the grill.
- Remove the seeds and veins from the poblano peppers carefully: Use a sharp knife to make a slit down the side of each pepper and remove the seeds and veins. Be careful not to tear the peppers.
- Stuff the poblano peppers evenly: When you are stuffing the peppers, be sure to distribute the filling evenly so that each pepper has the same amount.
- Cook the poblano peppers until they are tender: The poblano peppers should be cooked until they are tender but still have a slight bite to them. Overcooking will make the peppers mushy.
- Make the nogada sauce ahead of time: The nogada sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. This will give the flavors time to meld together.
- Serve the chile rellenos en nogada immediately: The chile rellenos en nogada are best served immediately after they are made. This will ensure that the peppers are hot and the sauce is warm.
Conclusion:
Chile rellenos en nogada is a delicious and festive dish that is perfect for special occasions. By following these tips, you can make sure that your chile rellenos en nogada turns out perfectly. So, gather your ingredients, put on your apron, and get ready to enjoy a delicious and authentic Mexican meal!
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