Name: Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce)
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: The Walnut Sauce: -; 1 heaping cup of shelled walnut halves -; Milk (about 2 cups) -; 1/4 lb queso fresco (or farmer's cheese) -; 1 1/2 cups thick sour cream (or creme fraiche) -; 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar -; 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon -; The Chiles: -; 6 large poblano chiles (use only poblanos, not another type of chile, for this dish) -; The Picadillo: -; 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey thigh meat -; Kosher salt -; 4 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil -; 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped -; 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped -; 1 tbsp butter -; 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon -; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves -; 1 cup of crushed, fire roasted tomatoes -; 1/2 cup of golden raisins -; 2 Tbsp blanched and slivered almonds, roughly chopped -; 1 apple, peeled, cored, chopped -; Garnish: -; 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds -; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley -

Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce)

Recipe information

Cooking:

1 hour 15 min.

Servings per container:

Source:

More details

Ingredients for - Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce)

1. The Walnut Sauce: -

2. 1 heaping cup of shelled walnut halves -

3. Milk (about 2 cups) -

4. 1/4 lb queso fresco (or farmer's cheese) -

5. 1 1/2 cups thick sour cream (or creme fraiche) -

6. 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar -

7. 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon -

8. The Chiles: -

9. 6 large poblano chiles (use only poblanos, not another type of chile, for this dish) -

10. The Picadillo: -

11. 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey thigh meat -

12. Kosher salt -

13. 4 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil -

14. 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped -

15. 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped -

16. 1 tbsp butter -

17. 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon -

18. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -

19. 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves -

20. 1 cup of crushed, fire roasted tomatoes -

21. 1/2 cup of golden raisins -

22. 2 Tbsp blanched and slivered almonds, roughly chopped -

23. 1 apple, peeled, cored, chopped -

24. Garnish: -

25. 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds -

26. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley -

How to cook deliciously - Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce)

1. Stage

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.

2. Stage

Soak the walnuts overnight: Place the skinned walnuts in a bowl, cover them with milk to soak, and chill them overnight in the refrigerator.

1. Stage. Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce): Soak the walnuts overnight: Place the skinned walnuts in a bowl, cover them with milk to soak, and chill them overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Stage

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.

1. Stage. Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce): 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.

4. Stage

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.

1. Stage. Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce): 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.

5. Stage

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.

1. Stage. Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce): 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.

6. Stage

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.

1. Stage. Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce): 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.

7. Stage

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.

1. Stage. Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce): 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.

8. Stage

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.

1. Stage. Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce): 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.

9. Stage

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, and ground cloves to taste (go easy on the cloves, they can overpower).