Cazuela Nogada Food

CAZUELA

Steps:

• In a large soup kettle or Dutch oven, place the chicken, squash, potatoes, corn, carrots and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender. , Serve over rice in a shallow soup bowl. Serve with hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper and cilantro or parsley.

CHILES EN NOGADA

Steps:

• For the chiles: In a medium saute pan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the chicken and cook until it starts to turn white, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, apricots, cranberries, pears, raisins and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the wine and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with sugar, salt and pepper, and then remove from the heat.
• Stuff each roasted poblano pepper with one-quarter of the chicken mixture and set aside.
• For the sauce: In a medium saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the shallots in the vegetable oil until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it turns a light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is almost completely evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 more minutes. Stir in the almonds and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, place each stuffed poblano pepper on a plate and top with 2 tablespoons sauce. Garnish with the cilantro and pomegranate seeds.

CHILEAN CAZUELA

Steps:

• First cut the meat into six portions. Then pre-heat the vegetable oil in a large pot. Braise the meat for three minutes on each side, and add the onion, seasonings, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for five minutes.
• When ready, place the potatoes, carrots, celery and pumpkin in the pot. Completely cover the contents with boiling water-about five or six cups and cook for ten minutes. Next incorporate the rice and corn; let simmer for eight minutes. Finally, mix-in the green beans and cook for three more minutes.
• Sample the stew and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve hot with one piece of meat, one potato, one piece of pumpkin and a portion of corn in each dish of stew.
• To garnish, sprinkle a little cilantro over each serving.

CHILES EN NOGADA

Steps:

• Make the picadillo: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high. Spread pork in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up meat with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until meat is crumbled and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a large bowl and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, apple, pear, plantain, garlic and 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. Add 1 teaspoon pepper, the oregano, cinnamon and clove, and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, 1 minute.
• Stir in sherry and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and no longer smells of alcohol, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juices, peach, raisins and almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.
• Add the cooked pork, olives, lemon zest and 1 cup water, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated, the vegetables and fruit are tender and the pork is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and set aside until ready to use.
• Meanwhile, fry the poblanos: Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan fitted with a deep-fry thermometer on high until thermometer registers 375 degrees. Working in four batches, fry the poblanos, turning once, until skin is opaque and blistered, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer poblanos to a large, heatproof bowl, wrap tightly with plastic and let sit 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin from chiles, leaving stem intact. Chiles should still be firm and bright green. Using a paring knife, make a 2-inch cut (about 1 inch from the top) lengthwise down the side of each poblano and carefully remove seeds and ribs.
• Place the poblanos cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and fill each with about 1/2 cup picadillo, gently pressing the filling into the poblanos with the back of a spoon, until full but not bursting or splitting. Set aside.
• Make the sauce: Purée the walnuts, almonds, crème fraîche and queso fresco with 1 1/4 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until creamy. Season with salt and thin with more water, if necessary.
• Serve stuffed chiles at room temperature topped with nogada sauce, pomegranate seeds and parsley leaves.

CAZUELA

Steps:

• If using banana leaves, soften them by gently heating each side, turning continuously, over an open gas burner until pliable, about 1 or 2 minutes. (If your banana leaves are already soft and pliable, you can skip this step.) Tuck leaves into a 2.5-liter baking dish, overlapping as needed to cover the bottom and sides, and trimming any pieces that go over the edge of the dish with a sharp pair of scissors. Grease the banana leaves, or 10 (8-ounce) ramekins with 1/2 tablespoon of softened butter. If using ramekins, arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the anise pods and 1 teaspoon salt, then add the sweet potato and boil for 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin and plantain, and boil for another 15 to 20 minutes, until everything is fork tender. (Adding these ingredients in batches ensures they cook evenly, and that the pumpkin, in particular, doesn't fall apart.) Transfer to a large mesh strainer, discard the anise pods, rinse with cold water and let drain fully.
• While the sweet potatoes boil, heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the coconut milk, eggs, brandy, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, combine the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, sugar, flour and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
• Transfer sweet potato, pumpkin and plantain to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or a large mixing bowl if using a handheld electric mixer. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then add remaining 3 tablespoons of softened butter and blend on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add wet ingredients and blend to fully incorporate. Add dry ingredients and blend until mixture is silky smooth and resembles a loose pudding, about 2 minutes.
• Fold in raisins using a spatula, then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish or ramekins, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (40 to 50 minutes if using ramekins). Test by poking the center with a toothpick or skewer; if it doesn't come out clean, bake for 5 to 10 more minutes. The cazuela should be firm with a golden top.
• Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to fully cool, about 30 minutes. Cazuela should separate easily from banana leaves or buttered ramekins, and either be eaten directly from the container, or flipped onto a plate. If you plan to unmold, turn the cazuela out onto a large rectangular platter, then peel off and discard the banana leaves, if using. Serve topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut or dark chocolate shavings, or a combination.

CHILES EN NOGADA

Steps:

• For the stuffing:.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the olive oil. Once hot, add in the onions and cook until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the beef, ham, pork and veal. Cook, breaking up the larger pieces of meat, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add in the peaches, pears, tomatoes, apples, plantains and pineapple, and cook for a few minutes. Then add in the prunes, citron, apricots and raisins. Cook for a few minutes and then add in the black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and some salt, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sherry, white wine, butter, bay leaves, marjoram and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Carefully drain the stuffing and remove the herbs and bay leaves.
• For the chiles:.
• Roast the chiles over an open flame or on the stovetop until the skin blackens on each side, about 3 minutes, then wrap the peppers in paper towels, and place in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, peel, seed and devein the chiles.
• Mix 2 cups water with the vinegar, then place the peppers in the mixture and soak for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the peppers, and then stuff each pepper with 4 to 6 ounces of stuffing depending on the size.
• For the sauce:.
• Soak the walnuts and almonds overnight. Alternatively, place the nuts in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat, adding some ice to cool. Once the nuts are done soaking, peel and rinse them with cold water, and then drain.
• In a food processor add the milk, crema, sherry and nuts, and process until mostly smooth but still slightly chunky. Then add the goat cheese, cream cheese, onions, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
• Serve the peppers cut-side down, add a generous amount of sauce, and then garnish with parsley and pomegranate seeds.