Food & Drink: Patriotic peppers with pomegranate and nuts: Reader recipe
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.TODAY we begin our series on peppers. The following recipe is from Marisol de Lafuente who comes from Mexico but now lives in Richmond, Surrey. 'This traditional Mexican dish (peppers in nut sauce) is especially popular on Mexican Independence Day on 15 September,' she writes. 'It is red, white and green: the colours of the Mexican flag.' She has adapted it from the Complete Book of Mexican Cooking by Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz. Mrs de Lafuente receives a bottle of 1991 Wyken Auxerrois from Wyken Vineyards near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Chiles en Nogada
(Serves 6)
Ingredients: For the shell: 6 bell peppers
2 eggs
2oz (60g) seasoned flour
6fl oz (180ml) corn or sunflower oil
For the stuffing: 2tbs olive oil
1lb (450g) lean minced beef
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 eating apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 lb (225g) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2oz (60g) raisins
8 pimiento-stuffed olives, cut in half
pinch ground cinnamon
4oz (110g) slivered almonds
salt and freshly ground pepper
For the sauce: 3oz (90g) walnuts
1 1/2 oz (45g) blanched almonds
8oz (225g) cream cheese
4fl oz (120ml) milk
pinch sugar
1 pomegranate, peeled, with seeds separated
1tbs chopped parsley
Preparation: Put the peppers under a hot grill. As the skin blisters, turn them to blister all sides. Place them in a covered bowl to steam. Set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Heat olive oil in a large heavy frying pan and brown the meat. Add onions and garlic. Cook briefly and add remaining ingredients except the almonds. Season to taste. Simmer uncovered until cooked (about 20 minutes). Mix in slivered almonds. Slip off skins of peppers, then cut the tops off. Remove seeds and pith. Stuff with meat mixture, then secure tops of peppers with a toothpick.
For the sauce, puree the walnuts, almonds, cheese and sugar in a food processor with half of the milk. Add milk as necessary to reach a mayonnaise-like consistency. Set aside.
Heat about 2in oil in a large pan. Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until they stand in peaks, then fold in the yolks. Dust the stuffed peppers with seasoned flour, dip them in the egg and fry them until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Arrange on serving dish. Just before serving, pour sauce over them and decorate with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments