Chile En Nogada

“Chile En Nogada is traditionally made to celebrate Mexican Independence Day on September 16. My grandmother would always make it to celebrate our heritage. This dish is made by stuffing a poblano chile with picadillo & topping it with pomegranate seeds and a walnut-based cream sauce (nogada). This dish is typically served at room temperature. Buen Provecho!”
-Chef Richard Sandoval

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Credit: Doug Schneider Photography

Chile En Nogada

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon shelled walnut pieces

• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched 3/4 cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 cup goat cheese

• 3/4 teaspoon each granulated sugar

• salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Filling:

• 1 3/4 pounds combination of shiitake, button and Portobello or Crimini fresh mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed and sliced

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon almonds, blanched and finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons golden raisins

• 2 medium apples peeled, cored and chopped

• 1 medium ripe pear, peeled, de-seeded and finely chopped 1 medium ripe peach, peeled, pitted and finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon of oloroso sherry

• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 pound ground pork picadillo

For the Final Assembly:

• 6 poblano chiles, roasted and peeled, stems kept attached

• 1 fresh small pomegranate, seeded (or store-bought pomegranate seeds)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Directions:

For the Sauce - Place the ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Set aside covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

For the Filling - In a large frying pan, heat the oil to medium high and sauté the onion until translucent; add the mushrooms until golden on all sides. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook until all ingredients are heated thoroughly. Cool enough to handle easily.

For the Final Assembly -Make a slit in each roasted poblano chile from the stem to the tip. Remove the seeds and placenta carefully and divide the filling equally to stuff the chiles. If not serving immediately, chill in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a few hours before heating. Before serving, cover and heat through in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes or under the broiler until hot. When ready to serve, spoon the sauce over the stuffed chiles and garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.