Chiles en Nogada are the quintessential Mexican dish of the national month. For foreigners who read this post, the national month in Mexico is in September where on the 15th and 16th of the month, the Independence of Mexico is celebrated. In this article, you will know exactly what the dish consists of, the history of the Chiles en Nogada, places to eat them in Mexico City and I even added a recipe so that you are encouraged to make them yourself, although I must warn you, it is no easy task, since its painstaking to prepare. Learn all about Chiles en Nogada.
The Dish
The dish has more than 20 ingredients. It is prepared with poblano chili, stuffed with a mince and fruit stew, and to finish, it is covered with the Nogada sauce, parsley leaves and grains of pomegranate. The colors of the Chile en Nogada are guess what!!! The colors of the Mexican flag: green (from the chili itself and parsley used for decoration), white (from the Nogada sauce) and red (from pomegranate).
What’s in the meat stew?
A million things!! Haha just kidding, but it does have a lengthy list of ingredients, even though it varies from family traditions and chefs recipes, these are some of the most common: apple, peach, pear, raisins, almonds, pine nuts, tomato, onion, parsley, cloves, cinnamon and acitrón. From this list you probably have never heard of Acitrón, it is a crystallized sweet typical of Mexico.
What’s in the Nogada sauce?
The cream sauce usually has milk, fresh goat cheese, sherry and walnut. The name Nogada comes from the nut tree that has Castille nuts called Nogada.
There are different variations:
* The chili peppers can be fried in batter or not.
* The picadillo can be made of pork or it can be a mix of pork and beef.
* They can be served cold or warm.
The History
According to Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita’s “Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy”, Chiles en Nogada have the following story:
“The most widespread version tells that Agustín de Iturbide, after signing the Treaties of Córdoba that consummated the Independence of Mexico in 1821, left for the capital of the country, upon arrival he was offered a meal in his honor. Don Agustín did not taste the food because he was afraid of being poisoned by the Spaniards who considered him a traitor.
… Upon introducing Chiles en Nogada to him, however, he couldn’t resist the temptation, as the ingredients were purposely chosen to highlight the colors of the Mexican flag. From this date, the great fame of the Chiles en Nogada begins. Of course, regardless of this story, there are recipes that prove the existence of this dish way before the date indicated, but the legend is very beautiful.”
Restaurants to eat Chiles en Nogada in Mexico City
1. El Cardenal (My favorite restaurant to eat this dish)
5. El Bajío
6. Aida
7. Nicos (click on this link where they explain the anatomy with an infographic).
The Recipe
Ingredients:
10 pieces Roasted medium poblano peppers, deveined
40 grams of lard
15 grams of garlic finely chopped
100 grams of onion finely chopped
450 grams of cooked pork loin finely chopped
450 grams red tomato poached and chopped
2 grams of cinnamon stick toasted and ground
60 grams of chopped raisins
60 grams of finely chopped blanched almonds
100 grams of acitrón finely chopped
200 grams of peach finely chopped
200 grams of pear finely chopped
300 grams of walnuts, peeled
150 grams of milk
175 grams of goat cheese
70 grams of almond without skin
200 grams of heavy cream
50 grams of dry sherry
A pinch of sugar
300 grams of egg
100 grams of flour
500 grams of oil
Salt and ground pepper to taste
200 grams shelled pomegranate
30 grams of parsley finely chopped
Steps:
- Roast the chiles and wrap to make them sweat. Remove the skin, seeds and veins. Put in water and salt if you require it.
- Heat the lard, sauté minced garlic and onion. Add the cooked and finely chopped meat, the peeled and chopped tomato. Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon, let it dry a little. Then you add raisins, almonds, acitrón and fresh chopped fruit. Cover and simmer for a few minutes. Remove, cool and stuff the chilies.
- Peel the walnuts and leave in half the milk. Grind them with cheese, almonds, cream, and the remaining milk. Add the Sherry and a little sugar. Rectify seasoning. There should be a sauce that napes and covers.
- Beat the whites to the point of nougat, add half of the yolks beaten with salt and pepper. Pass the chilies in flour, removing the excess and coat with the egg. Fry and drain. Place on a platter and cover with the Nogada. Garnish with pomegranate grains and chopped parsley.
Note: The chiles can be served warm and without coating with the cold Nogada sauce.
As you can see, Mexican gastronomy is not like another, on the contrary it is quite complex and complete, rich with history and flavor. I hope you have enjoyed learning about the majestic Mexican dish Chiles en Nogada. And that this post has made you want to make a reservation to go to eat them, or even better that you are encouraged to cook them at home for your loved ones. If you want other recommendations to eat in Mexico City, read these posts Top Places in Mexico City for Lunch in 2021 and Best places to eat this summer 2019 in Mexico City.
