Chiles en Nogada

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

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 large (about 300 g total) poblano chillies
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.

   15 ml olive oil100 g white onion, finely diced2 garlic cloves, minced
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.

   200 g pork mince
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.

   80 g tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped100 g ripe peach, peeled and diced small100 g firm pear, peeled and diced small25 g blanched almonds, chopped20 g raisins1 g ground cinnamon1 g ground cumin1 g dried oregano4 g fine salt1 g black pepper
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.

   2 large (about 300 g total) poblano chillies
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.

   80 g walnuts50 g fresh goat's cheese80 g Mexican crema or crème fraîche30 ml milk3 g sugar1 g fine salt
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.

   2 large (about 300 g total) poblano chillies200 g pork mince100 g white onion, finely diced2 garlic cloves, minced100 g ripe peach, peeled and diced small100 g firm pear, peeled and diced small80 g tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped25 g blanched almonds, chopped20 g raisins15 ml olive oil1 g ground cinnamon1 g ground cumin1 g dried oregano4 g fine salt1 g black pepper
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.

   80 g walnuts50 g fresh goat's cheese80 g Mexican crema or crème fraîche30 ml milk3 g sugar1 g fine salt60 g pomegranate seeds8 g flat-leaf parsley leaves

Origin & History

Chiles en Nogada is one of Mexico's most emblematic festive dishes, closely associated with Puebla and the late summer pomegranate and walnut harvest. It is traditionally linked to Mexican Independence season, with its green, white, and red colours echoing the national flag.