Roasted poblanos filled with spiced picadillo, topped with mild walnut sauce and finished with pomegranate and parsley. A festive Mexican main course with savory, sweet, creamy and fresh flavors.
Chiles en nogada brings together different flavors without letting any one of them overpower the rest. The poblano is mild, with a soft, slightly smoky flavor after roasting. Picadillo provides a contrast: ground meat with onion, tomato, apple, pear, raisins and almonds. The fruit doesn’t turn the filling into a dessert; instead, it adds sweet notes to the savory meat. Pomegranate seeds bring fresh, juicy bursts, while parsley adds a green, herbal finish.
The walnut sauce, nogada, should be creamy and mild. Walnuts can taste bitter, especially if their thin brown skins are left on. Soaking them in warm water makes them easier to peel; take a little time to do this. In Mexico, queso de Castilla, a fresh cheese, is often used. It isn’t available everywhere here, so queso fresco or a mild fresh goat cheese is a good substitute. Don’t choose a strongly salted cheese: the sauce should soften the filling, not dominate it. Milk makes the sauce pourable; add it gradually so the sauce doesn’t become watery.
Poblanos are usually available at Mexican shops and well-stocked greengrocers. If you can’t find them, large green bell peppers are a practical substitute, but they lack the distinctive flavor of the poblano. Roast the peppers until the skin is charred in several places, then cover them and let them steam. This makes the skin easier to remove and softens the flesh enough to stuff. Peel carefully and make a narrow opening: a large tear makes it harder to keep the soft filling in place.
This is a version without a batter coating. That keeps the walnut sauce and pomegranate clearly visible and makes preparation straightforward; versions with a light egg batter are also common. Warm the stuffed peppers briefly in the oven and serve them lukewarm, with the sauce over or alongside them. The sauce can be made ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator; stir it until smooth before serving and let it come up to temperature a little. Serve with rice or warm corn tortillas. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and eat them within two days; reheat the peppers thoroughly and keep the sauce separate until serving.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Roast the poblanos under a hot oven grill or over a gas flame, turning them regularly, until the skin is charred in several places. Place them in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes.
Carefully rub the loosened skin off the peppers. Leave the stems on. Make a narrow slit down one side and remove the membranes and seeds through the opening. Pat the peppers dry if needed.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes until translucent. Add the ground beef and pork and cook until browned and crumbly, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon.
Stir the tomato, apple, pear, raisins, almonds, broth, cinnamon, cloves and salt into the meat. Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, until the fruit is just tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Let the filling cool for 5 minutes.
Carefully stuff the peppers with the picadillo. Place them in a baking dish with the openings facing up. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until thoroughly warm and pliable but still holding their shape.
Meanwhile, make the nogada. Pour hot water over the walnuts and let them soak for 10 minutes. Rub off as much of the thin skins as possible, then drain the nuts.
Blend the walnuts with the queso fresco, milk, heavy cream, sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth and thick. Add a small splash of extra milk if needed; the sauce should run off a spoon.
Place the warm peppers on plates and spoon the walnut sauce over them. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley. Serve lukewarm.
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