August and September is the official season for chiles en nogada, and here I am writing this in October. I think they are delicious year round, plus I am a gringa so forgive me. I just spent the month of September in Guanajuato and ate this delicacy at least once a week. Everyone makes it differently! My favorite version was served at La Doña Restaurant in San Miguel de Allende, and was made from an almost paté-like meat filling, with thick velvety walnut sauce on top. I prefer my chile en nogada served warm, although some serve them cold or room temperature. Everyone agrees they should have pomegranates and parsley sprinkled on top, to represent the Mexican flag and Mexican independence (Sept 16).
I looked into a bit of the history of the dish, and it is originated from the city of Puebla, same as my other favorite dish Mole. The dish was made popular in the eighteenth century when townspeople held a grand feast to celebrate the country's independence and to honor Agustin de Iturbide. He had just signed the Treaty of Cordoba declaring Mexico's independence from Spain, and the locals made him a dish from in-season local ingredients, pomegranates and walnuts. It has become a patriotic dish from that day forward.
I haven't ever tried to make chiles en nogada myself, but I wanted to share some recipes I found online in case you want to give it a go. I highly recommend tasting them at least once, and you may end up an addict like me, ordering chiles en nogada every time it's on the menu.
Rick Bayless Chiles en Nogada recipe
Mexican Food Journal Chiles en Nogada recipe
