Chiles En Nogada

Mazatlan is basically a tourist city. And for us the "Season" runs from the end October till the end of April. There are a lot of visitors mostly Mexican Nationals that will take their summer vacation here. So for many businesses they can be busy until Aug-Oct. Come August and people start to get real worried wondering if they can hold on till the first of November. The answer for many businesses especially restaurants is to close for a couple of months and head out on their own family vacations.

Our good friends Toni and Luci own a wonderful B&B along with a Awesome restaurant: "Te Amo Luci" (I Love Lucy just like the old TV show) they call it a Taquaria and More. Taquarias are little family own neighborhood restaurants that serve just basic Mexican food. Ah but Luci does nothing "just basic" Luci is a genius in the kitchen, she can make boiling water taste exquisite :c}. Well they decided that they would close for a couple of months to do some remodeling during the sloooow months.

For opening night Luci fixed her incredible Chiles en Nogadas. These are poblamo chiles stuff with anywhere from 10 - 40 ingredients, some are meats, apples, raisins, and on and on. Then they are covered in a delicious white sauce made with walnuts and served with fresh pomegranate seeds and cilantro. This dish legend says came from the city of Puebla in the state of Puebla. Which is about 30miles from Mexico City. The dish was created to honor the Mexican flag Red, White and Green. Traditionally it is served only in the fall and through the holidays. For many it's the traditional meal served on Independence day. When the announcement goes out that Luci is serving these the whole town turns out!! Reservations are always a good idea :c} Luci being a true Mexican cook (chef to me) has yet to ever run out of chiles so that's not the reason But there are only so many chairs and tables and NO BODY is willing to give up their seat :c}

There must be a bazillion different recipes, every one's family has their own and of course theirs is the best. I looked around and found this one. It should be fairly easy to follow if you would like to try and make them.

I'm off to read a bit more of my new Somerset Studio have a good day or evening my Bloglandian friends depending on what part of the world you are in :c}

Chiles En Nogada

Ingredients:
For the filling:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1 medium apple, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium pear, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 ounces blanched almonds, slivered
2 ounces raisins, soaked until soft, then drained
1 stick cinnamon
salt and pepper to tasteFor the chiles:
8 large poblano chiles, prepared for stuffing (See Note)
4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
Oil for fryingFor the sauce:
1 quart unsweetened heavy cream
4 ounces walnut meat, soaked in milk, drained and choppedFor the garnish:
2 pomegranates, peeled and separated into seeds
4 sprigs parsley, leaves only, chopped fine Preparation:
After preparing chiles as described in the note below, pat them dry and set them aside while you make the filling. The batter will not adhere to them properly if the chiles are not dry.
Melt the lard or oil in a large skillet; saute beef, pork, garlic, onion, apple, pear, almonds, raisins and cinnamon stick until the meat has lost its pink color. Remove the cinnamon stick, add salt and pepper to taste and allow the filling to cool to room temperature. When cool, fill the chiles, dividing the mixture evenly.
You will have fluffier and more uniform coating if you make the egg batter and fry the chiles in two batches. Beat two of the egg whites al punto de turron - that is, until they stand up in peaks, stiff but not dry. Lightly beat two yolks and half the salt together; fold them gently into the beaten egg whites. Dip each of four filled chiles into the mixture, turning them gently to coat evenly. Place each one immediately into a large skillet with hot oil. Fry them until golden on the bottom side (lift gently with a spatula to check) then turn and fry on the other side. Repeat this process with the rest of the chiles and the other two eggs. Remove and drain on paper towels before placing on serving dish.
Put the cream and the walnuts in a blender or food processor and puree untill smooth. Pour over the chiles, and decorate with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.
NOTE: The chiles are prepared for stuffing by roasting over a gas flame or under a broiler until charred all over. They are then placed in a plastic bag for 10-15 minutes. Peel by rubbing them gently, using rubber gloves, under a stream of running water. (Stems are not removed, but can be trimmed beforehand if very long.) After the chiles have been roasted and cleaned, make a lengthwise slit up one side of each and carefully remove the seed sac and any loose seeds. Avoid over-handling the chiles.