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| Pomegranate tree |
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| Pomegranate fruits |
Pomegranates are a gorgeous fruit, with the promise of luscious, juicy seeds inside. If the truth be known, however, we usually don't even bother to harvest the fruits, so they split open and the birds have a feast. After all, is there a delicate way to eat a pomegranate?
Recently I was reminded of the Mexican tradition of using pomegranate seeds in a dish called chiles en nogada, stuffed chiles in walnut sauce.
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| Chiles en nogada |
Several traditional restaurants in my home town of El Paso, Texas, are now featuring chiles en nogada on their menus as a seasonal dish. I will probably have my next plate of these delicacies at a restaurant. The recipe to prepare them is not for the faint of heart.
The Essential Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy (2000) has an extensive write-up on chiles en nogada. One story has it that the dish was concocted with ingredients the color of the Mexican flag, green chiles, white sauce, and red pomegranate seeds, to celebrate the signing of a treaty. Another story describes the origin of the dish as a result of the yearly harvest of poblano chiles, fruits, and walnuts.
Like many traditional recipes, many variations of chiles en nogada can be found in cookbooks and on the Internet. Diana Kennedy makes hers with pork, tomatoes, fruit, plantains, raisins, poblano chiles, and almonds. Other cooks use ground meat and vary the other ingredients as well. The basic procedure is to stuff the chiles, fry them in a batter, and serve covered with the nut sauce. The finished product is decorated with pomegranate seeds and parsley. Chiles en nogada are generally served alone on a plate as a main course, perhaps accompanied by corn tortillas.
Just in case you get inspired to make this autumn culinary delight, I am including a recipe from the Food Network. And if you decide to prepare this dish at home, please invite me to dinner, but after all the work is done, please.
Recipe for Chiles en Nogada
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