Originally created to commemorate Mexico’s Independence, Chiles en Nogada is a traditional dish that symbolizes the country’s national pride as it represents all the colors of the Mexican flag: green, red and white. In this version, Hilton Chicago’s Chef Garcia changed the ingredients to a plant-based recipe to give it his own personal touch. Chef Garcia’s childhood was spent working on a farm with his parents in Fresnillo Zacatecas, Mexico and his continued passion for gardening inspired him to create the hotel’s rooftop garden & apiary, the Windy City Harvest farm plot and in-kitchen micro-green lab. These initiatives provide a sustainable harvest for banquet events at the hotel and allow the expansion of the banquet menus to feature more plant-based recipes like Chiles en Nogada.
INGREDIENTS
For the peppers:
• 12 Large Banana Peppers
• 10 oz. Barley
• 12 oz. Olive Oil
• 1 Large Carrot, peeled and small diced
• 1 Red Onion, small diced
• 1 medium Sweet Potato, small diced
• 1 medium Zucchini Squash, small diced
• 3 Plum Tomatoes
• 2 oz. Candied Orange Peel, small diced
• 1/2 cup Golden Raisins
• 1/2 cup Almonds, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Nogada sauce:
• 12 oz. Vegan Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Shelled Walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Piloncillo, or light brown sugar
For the garnish:
• 2 small Pomegranates
- 1 cup Chopped Cilantro
DIRECTIONS
For the barley:
Pre-cook the barley, place it in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until just cooked through (about 15 minutes). When the barley is cooked, remove it from the pan and allow it to cool to the touch. Next, slice the tomatoes in half and put them in the blender with . cup of water and blend until smooth, but not liquified.
For the pepper filling:
Pan fry the onions in 3 tablespoons of oil for 2 minutes at medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes and stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the barley and stir, add the pureed tomatoes, then add the carrots, zucchini and raisins and cook for 5 minutes until the tomato puree starts to reduce. Finally, add the orange peel and almonds, oregano and spices and stir well and cook for 15 minutes until all of the vegetables are fully cooked and tender and the liquid is reduced. Note: If the filling starts to get too dry before all the veggies are fully cooked, add a little bit of water or vegetable stock.
For the peppers:
Place the peppers over the open flame on the stovetop burner to blacken and blister the skin on all sides. When all of the peppers have been roasted, place them in a plastic bag to sweat them. Then, scrape the skin of the peppers with a knife blade. Finally, using a small knife, gently split the pepper down the side without cutting all the way through the tip. Gently remove the seeds inside with your fingers without tearing the pepper.
For the Nogada sauce:
Place the cream, walnuts and cinnamon in the blender and blend until the walnuts are completely incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
For the garnish:
Using your favorite technique, remove the seeds from the pomegranates. Chop the cilantro very finely, leaving a few leaves as decoration.
To serve:
Fill each pepper with enough filling so that it will just close. Place one stuffed pepper on each plate. Spoon Nogada sauce over the stuffed pepper until it is completely covered. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro over the Nogada covered pepper. Decorate with one or two cilantro leaves.
