Printed at the current scale: 16 stuffed chiles · about 6 kg · US With Grams · A4 or Letter, one page where it fits

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Chiles en Nogada

16 stuffed chiles · about 6 kg

Walnuts

  • 14 ozwalnut halves, preferably fresh, about 3 1/2 cups
  • milk, to cover the walnuts, to taste

Picadillo Filling

  • ⅓ cupvegetable oil
  • ½white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 lbground pork
  • 1 lbground beef
  • 1 clovegarlic
  • 5whole cloves
  • ½ stickcinnamon stick, about 1 1/2 inches
  • water, for the spice paste, to taste
  • 2tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
  • ¾ cupraisins
  • ¾ cupblanched almonds, chopped
  • ¾ cuppine nuts
  • salt, to taste
  • 2apples, peeled and diced
  • 2pears, peeled and diced
  • 2peaches, chopped, about 1 cup
  • 1ripe plantain, peeled and chopped

Poblano Chiles

  • 16 to 18fresh poblano chiles
  • white vinegar, for soaking, to taste
  • salt, for soaking, to taste

Batter and Frying

  • 12eggs, separated
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 cupall purpose flour, about
  • vegetable oil, for frying, to taste

Nogada and Assembly

  • 7 ozfresh goat cheese
  • 1 tbspsugar
  • 1 cupmilk
  • 1 pinchground cinnamon
  • ¼ cupsweet sherry
  • 2pomegranates, seeds only
  • flat leaf parsley sprigs, to taste
  1. Walnuts A few days ahead, rub or pick the thin brown skins off the 14 oz walnut halves, preferably fresh. It is slow work; fresh walnuts peel most easily. 60 to 120 min
  2. Put the peeled walnuts in a container, cover with milk, to cover the walnuts and refrigerate until you make the sauce. 4 °C · 12 h to 3 days
  3. Picadillo Filling Cook the ½ white onions, 1 lb ground pork and 1 lb ground beef in the ⅓ cup vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, breaking up the meat, until cooked through. 15 min to 20 min
  4. Pound the ½ stick cinnamon stick, about 1 1/2 inches, 1 clove garlic and 5 whole cloves to a paste in a mortar. Stir in a little water, for the spice paste, pass it through a sieve into the meat and stir. 5 min to 10 min
  5. Add the 2 tomatoes, ¾ cup raisins, ¾ cup blanched almonds and ¾ cup pine nuts. Simmer for about 20 min, stirring now and then, and season with salt.
  6. Stir in the drained 2 apples and 2 pears with the 2 peaches and 1 ripe plantain, mix well and cook for only 2 min to 3 min. Take the pan off the heat straight away so the fruit holds its shape.
  7. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, not a lid, and let the filling cool. 30 min
  8. Poblano Chiles Roast the 16 to 18 fresh poblano chiles directly over a high gas flame, turning, until the skins blister and blacken all over. Wrap them in a damp cloth to steam for a few minutes. 15 min to 25 min
  9. Rub off the skins, cut a lengthwise slit in each chile and carefully pull out the seeds and veins, keeping the stem on. 15 min to 20 min
  10. Soak the chiles in water seasoned with white vinegar, for soaking and salt, for soaking for 15 min, then pat dry with paper towels.
  11. Spoon the cooled filling into each chile without overstuffing, so the slit still closes over it. 15 min
  12. Batter and Frying Pour vegetable oil, for frying into a large frying pan to a depth of about 1.5 cm (⅝ in) and heat it.
  13. Whip the egg whites from the 12 eggs, separated to stiff peaks, then beat in the yolks one at a time and season with salt. 5 min to 8 min
  14. Roll each stuffed chile lightly in the 1 cup all purpose flour, holding it closed, then dip it in the batter until fully coated.
  15. Fry a few chiles at a time, without crowding, turning once, until deep golden on both sides. A spatula helps to tip each chile against the side of the pan to cook the edges. 20 min to 30 min
  16. Drain on paper towels, changing the paper a few times to soak up as much oil as possible.
  17. Nogada and Assembly Drain the walnuts and put them in a blender with the 7 oz fresh goat cheese, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup milk, 1 pinch ground cinnamon and ¼ cup sweet sherry. Blend until smooth and creamy. 2 min to 4 min
  18. Arrange the chiles on a platter, cover them with the nogada and scatter over the 2 pomegranates, seeds only and flat leaf parsley sprigs. Serve at room temperature or just warm.
  • Safety: Large batch: cool quickly in shallow containers or an ice bath, to below 5 °C within 6 hours, before refrigerating. (USDA FSIS)
  • Safety: Ground pork should reach 71 °C (160 °F) at the centre. (USDA FSIS)
  • Safety: Ground beef should reach 71 °C (160 °F) at the centre. (USDA FSIS)
  • Safety: Cook the ground pork and beef through, until no pink remains. (The author)
  • Safety: Egg dishes should reach 71 °C (160 °F) at the centre. (USDA FSIS)
  • Safety: Fry in a deep pan with the oil no more than a third of the way up the sides, and lower the chiles in away from you. (The author)