Roasted poblanos are packed with shredded dove, pecans and golden raisins, then dipped in a fluffy egg batter and fried until crispy. Serve with a creamy chile sauce and top with fresh herbs or pomegranate.

This is fall on a plate. Doves, peppers, nuts, maybe even some pomegranate seeds.

Featured in the Dove Video.

Serves 4

Chiles

4 poblano peppers (choose large, flat peppers)

1 tbsp lard or butter

1 small white onion, diced

Salt and pepper

¼ cup golden raisins

¼ cup pecans, chopped

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 cups shredded dove (about 8 doves)

3 eggs, yolks and whites carefully separated

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

Lard or oil for frying

A handful of cilantro leaves (or pomegranate seeds if available)

Sauce

1 tbsp lard or duck fat

2 chilaca or Anaheim peppers, sliced

1 medium white onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

¼ cup cilantro stems, chopped

1 cup sour cream or Mexican crema

1 cup dove stock

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roast the poblanos until blistered and blackened all over. Remove them to a bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap; let stand for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, gently peel the peppers without tearing them. Cut a horizontal strip down each chile and carefully remove the seeds and as much of the membrane as possible, leaving the stem intact. Set the peppers aside.

Make the filling by heating the lard in a small pot. Cook the onion in this until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the raisins, pecans, cinnamon and shredded dove. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.

In a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites to very stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks into the bowl and very gently fold them in until homogenous, trying to keep as airy a texture as possible. Fold in 3 tbsp flour.

Heat enough lard or oil to come up 1 ½ inches in a wide, heavy pot. Using a thermometer, keep the fat at around 350°F.

Stuff ¼ of the filling into each of the peppers, flattening them and making sure that the peppers completely encase the filling and the cut sides slightly overlap each other. Secure the peppers closed with 2 toothpicks each.

Dredge the peppers in the flour, completely coating them, then immediately dip them into the egg mixture to completely coat.

Place the chiles in the hot fat and cook until the first side is deeply golden, then very gently turn them with a metal spatula (flip them AWAY from you) and cook them on the second side. Once golden, remove them from the pan and drain on paper towels or a rack.

To make the sauce, heat the lard or duck fat over medium heat in a small sauce pot. Add the peppers and onions and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cilantro stems and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove the pepper mixture to a blender and blend to a smooth puree with the sour cream and stock. Season to taste with salt. Return the puree to the pot and keep warm.

Place the sauce on individual plates or a large platter and put the fried chiles on top. Scatter with cilantro leaves or pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.