Bagley's on the Border: Chile En Nogadas

Yesterday I got another cooking lesson in Mexican cuisine. Mari, the caretaker out at Aleluya church, taught me how to make Chile En Nogadas. This is like a Chile Relleno but even better. The dish is from south Mexico so it's a delicacy here. First you have to prepare the peppers. You char the poblanos, peel their skin and make a small hole to remove the seeds and stems and to fill with meat. You make the meat mixture by browning ground beef, onion, garlic and tomato. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin and add in chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins, and pomegranate seeds. It's amazing! Next comes the trick that makes these chiles so good. To make the batter you separate eggs and season the whites with salt, pepper, and garlic salt and beat with a hand mixer for a looong time until they are very stiff. Once stiff you beat in the yolks and some flour. You dip the stuffed poblanos in the batter and fry until golden brown. As if this wasn't enough, you serve the chiles with cream and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. The traditional plate is served with red rice and shredded lettuce and is supposed to look like the Mexican flag. I'll never eat another chile relleno and not appreciate how much work goes into them. They are quite the process but definitely worth it. If you come and visit me I'll make them for you! There are more pictures on the Photo page of the blog of the cooking lesson.