Pears and Poblanos Forever: Chiles en Nogada
Mexico’s iconic Independence Day dish of poblano chiles stuffed with fresh and dried fruits, blanketed in creamy walnut sauce and dotted with glistening, jewel-like pomegranate seeds is a celebration of seasonality, color, and heritage. Many recipes call for multiple types of fruit in the filling, but award-winning cookbook author Andrea Slonecker’s version highlights fresh pears.
Chiles en Nogada
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Walnut Sauce
1 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup milk, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons dry sherry wine
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Stuffed Chiles
12 large poblano chiles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground pork
½ medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Mexican (or regular) dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
2 large ripe pears, such as Bartlett–peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice
2 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
½ cup raisins
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Arils from 1 ripe pomegranate
Chopped parsley, for garnish