Oriental meatballs

Recipe for filled Chilis with walnut-almond sauce

An original Mexican dish in national colours of green (the chillies), white (the nogada sauce) and red (the pomegranate seeds). This recipe, invented by nuns from Puebla in 1821 in honour of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide, is a treat for all chilli lovers. A little more complicated to prepare, but really worth it!

Ingredients for 5 people:

To fill:

5 medium-sized chilli peppers (traditionally with poblano chillies, but green large jalapenos also work, but then you tend to need more).

Ingredients for the filling:

500 g minced pork and beef.

500 g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

75 g finely chopped walnuts

60 g pine nuts

40 g butter

50 g sultanas

4EL olive oil

½ large onion

5 garlic cloves, peeled

2 fresh pears

2 fresh peaches

1 medium apple

1 pinch of ground cinnamon

1 pinch freshly ground pepper

1 pinch of ground cloves

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 small sprig of bay leaf

1 dash dry sherry

1 dash dry white wine

1 pinch of salt to taste

Ingredients for the sauce:

200 g peeled walnuts

150 g crème fraîche

30 g peeled almonds

½ cup whipped cream

1 cup milk + extra milk to put in the walnuts and almonds
1 tbsp honey
1 pinch of ground cinnamon

1 dash dry or sweet sherry

1 pinch of salt to taste

Garnish:

2-3 pomegranates

½ bunch parsley

Preparation:

Sauce:

Soak the shelled walnuts and almonds in the milk for at least 2 hours (even overnight if possible). After soaking, drain the walnuts and almonds and put them in a stand mixer with the cup of milk and puree.
Mix 100g crème fraîche, cream, honey, cinnamon, sherry and salt to a sauce and season to taste. Place the sauce in the fridge for 2 hours.
If it becomes too thick, add more crème fraîche. The sauce should be creamy.

Filling:

First chop the onions and garlic. Then heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic and fry lightly. Add the minced meat and continue to fry with the onions and garlic. In the meantime, chop the pears, peaches, apple, sultanas and tomatoes into very small cubes.

Season the mince mixture with salt and pepper and add the pears, peaches, sultanas and apple. Cook the minced fruit mixture over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a dash of white wine.
Add the tomatoes, walnuts, pine nuts and spices to the mince mixture and season with sherry, cinnamon and salt. Simmer the mince over a low heat for about 2 hours until it has a firm consistency. Leave the mince mixture to cool.

Garnish:

Core the pomegranates and place in a bowl until ready to use. Rinse the parsley and pluck off the edible parts and set aside as well.

Chillies:

Place the chillies whole in the hot pan and fry evenly, stirring constantly, until you get a light brown colour. It is important that the chillies remain crunchy and do not become mushy.
Remove the chillies from the pan and let them sweat in their own heat in a cloth for a short while longer.

Remove the chillies, clean them, hollow them out and peel off the skin. Drain the chillies briefly and then fill with the mince mixture.Place the lukewarm chillies on a plate, pour the walnut sauce over them and decorate with the pomegranate and parsley. Serve with tortillas or Mexican corn bread.

Buen Provecho! Bon appetit!