CHILES EN NOGADA the Karen Harsh-Gruber version
There are probably about as
many recipes for this dish
as there are cooks in Puebla,
where it originated.
It is always associated with
September, el mes patrio,
because it features the red,
white and green colors of
the Mexican flag.
An invention of the colonial
Poblana nuns, chiles en nogada
can be difficult but don't have
to be.
I obtained several different
versions, the most complicated
of which contained forty different
ingredients and the simplest of
which had ten.
The following recipe is an authentic,
uncomplicated version of the Puebla
classic.
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 taste
For the chiles:
* 8 large poblano chiles, prepared for stuffing (See Note)
* 4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Oil for frying
For the sauce:
* 1 quart unsweetened heavy cream
* 4 ounces walnut meat, soaked in milk, drained and chopped
For 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.
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgchilenogadaeng.html
--
_______________________________________________
Get your free email from www.doramail.com with 30 Megs of disk space in webhosting and
e-mail storage!
Powered by Outblaze
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
$9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/9rHolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HERB-RECIPE/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
