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Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Peppers in Walnut Sauce)
(from Mexico)
By Robert C. McNamee and Maria Marquez‐Carrillo
This is one of the most traditional Mexican dishes and is often called the “National Dish of Mexico”
in part because it is served around Mexican Independence Day (September 15 th ). Both
pomegranates and walnuts are seasonal ingredients which makes this a wonderful autumn dish.
International Context
The recipe was obtained through many years of cajoling by my wife’s father and is said to have been
passed down through generations of familial matriarchs going back to the original chefs in Puebla,
Mexico (although we cannot verify the legitimacy of that claim). This recipe is time consuming to
prepare but this is part of the enjoyment—my wife’s whole family used to sit down together for an
evening of pealing walnuts—this dish really captures the proud, hard‐working spirit of Mexico.
Methodology
“Nogada” Walnut Sauce
1. Remove nuts from hard shell, soak in water
for 30 minutes. If walnuts are fresh, the skin
should be soft and easy to remove. The
walnut should end up completely white and
free of any brown skin. If the skin is left on it
will give the sauce a bitter flavor and will spoil
its pure white color. You can peel the walnuts
in the days before you plan to serve this dish,
since it is quite time consuming. To prevent
the peeled walnuts from turning black, leave
them submerged in a container of cold water
and refrigerate. We advise against the use of
any “tactics” to make the peeling easier (e.g.,
although boiling makes almonds quite easy to
peal, boiled walnuts will turn purplish and
ruin the pure white of the sauce). Just be
patient, find your Zen moment, relax with a
glass of wine, or invite an army of walnut
peelers over.
2. Place the walnuts, cheese, and Mexican
cream in a blender. Blend until a rich, creamy
texture is achieved. If the sauce is too thick
you can add some milk to make it thinner.
Add nutmeg (enhances the nutty flavor) as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Stuffing
3. In a large saucepan, put a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic, when
transparent, add ground beef and pork and cook until meat has browned. Add almonds, raisins,
and crystallized pineapple, salt and pepper to taste. Add a cup of water and let it boil until the
water dries out and the meat is cooked through.
54
Ingredients for Walnut Sauce
(Serves 6 people)
60 fresh walnuts peeled and crushed
12 Ounces of Mexican cream
250 grams of fresh or aged cheese
Salt and pepper to taste.
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Ingredients for Stuffing
1 large garlic clove
¼ onion, finely chopped
300 grams of ground pork
300 grams of ground beef
50 grams of almonds, peeled and chopped
(boil for 3 minutes to loosen the shell)
50 grams of chopped raisins
50 grams of chopped crystallized pineapple
Salt and pepper to taste.
Olive oil
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