Chiles en Nogada Calzone

Chiles en nogada is a Mexican dish of poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo (a mixture usually containing shredded meat, aromatics, fruits and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce, called nogada, pomegranate seeds and parsley.

I decided to make a vegetarian version of chiles en nogada as the stuffing of a calzone. The nogada sauce will be served on the side as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients

• Filling
  • 4 poblano peppers
  • 2 TBSP Butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced
  • 1 ripe plantain, chopped
  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 1 fresh peach, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 TBSP orange marmalade
  • 2 TBSP pumpkin seeds
  • 2 TBSP raisins
  • 2 TBSP blanched almonds, chopped
  • 0.5 tsp ground clove
  • Salt and pepper to taste
• Dipping Sauce
  • 2.5 Cups chopped walnuts
  • 1.5 Cups milk
  • 4 oz soft goat cheese
  • 1 TBSP corn starch
  • 1 TBSP white sugar
  • 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
  • Salt and pepper
• Garnish
  • 1.5 Cups pomegranate seeds
  • 1/2 Cup chopped fresh parsley
• Calzone
  • Try one of my pizza doughs
  • 1/2 Cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Shredded Jalapeno munster cheese
  • Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Roast Poblano Peppers
   • Roast poblano chiles over an open flame on a gas stove or grill until the skin is black and charred on all sides, turning often, 10 to 15 minutes.
   • Deseed the chiles and slice
2. Make filling
   • Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat.
   • Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent.
   • Add Shiitake mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes stirring. Season with salt and pepper.
   • Mix in tomatoes, apple, peach, marmalade, salt, and pepper. Cook down until juices evaporate stirring sometimes.
   • Mix in plantain, parsley, pumpkin seeds, raisins, almonds, clove, salt, and pepper.
   • Simmer until filling is cooked through and flavors are well combined.
3. Assemble and Brush
   • Press and stretch dough out into a thin symmetric shape. I like to stretch mine into a rectangle.
   • Add filling down the center of the dough leaving space on either end to seal the calzone
   • Cover with Jalapeno Munster cheese.
   • Pull one side over the filling to close the calzone. Seal by pressing hard and crimp the edges buy twisting small pieces at a time a pressing tight.
   • Cut a hole in the center for an air vent.
   • Brush with calzone with olive oil
4. Bake
   • Place baking stone in cold oven closest to heating element. For my gas stove it is the bottom rack. Many electric ovens will have a heating element on the top of the oven therefore it would be best to use the top oven rack in this case.
   • Preheat oven with baking stone at max oven temperature. My oven maxes out at 550 °F.
   • Bake for 7 – 10 minutes depending on how high of heat you can set your oven at. I bake mine for 9 minutes at 550 °F
   • If baking in a wood fired oven make sure you use 0 – 0 flour. Other flours cause a bitter charing taste when heated to the high heat temperatures found in a wood fired oven. The baking times will be closer to 3 minutes
   • After baking finish with freshly grated parmesan cheese
5. Dipping Sauce
   • Combine walnuts, milk, goat cheese, sugar, corn starch, and cinnamon stick in a blender.
   • Blend until walnut sauce is smooth and creamy.
   • Heat in a Sauce pan until warm
   • Serve in a small side bowl garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley