Chiles en Nogada

Method

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1. Soak the walnuts in the milk for at least 1 hour.

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2. Char the poblanos over a gas flame or under a very hot grill for 10 minutes, turning, until blistered and black all over. Put them in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave them to steam for 15 minutes.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

3. Peel off the skins, make a slit down one side of each chile and remove the seeds carefully, keeping the stems on.

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4. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, pork and beef and cook for 10 minutes, breaking up the meat, until browned.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

5. Stir in the tomatoes, apple, pear, raisins, almonds, cinnamon, cloves and salt and simmer for 15 minutes, until the mixture is thick and almost dry. Cool a little.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

6. Blend the walnuts and their milk with the cream cheese, cream, sugar, cinnamon and salt until smooth, adding a splash of water if it is too thick to pour.

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7. Heat the oven to 160°C / 325°F. Stuff each chile with the picadillo, set them on a tray and warm for 15 minutes.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

8. Set a chile on each plate, cover with the cool walnut sauce and scatter with the pomegranate seeds and parsley.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Steam the charred chiles in a covered bowl. The skins slide off easily afterwards.
• Cook the filling until it is almost dry. A wet filling makes the chile burst.
• Serve the sauce cool, on warm chiles. It is not meant to be hot.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A glass of dry white wine
• A green salad
• Mexican red rice

Storage & Reheating

Keep the filling in the fridge up to 2 days and the sauce up to 1 day. Assemble on the day.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.