I have written before that "chile en nogada" is a dish that is traditional for Mexican Independence Day, September 16th. Restaurants will usually begin to serve it in August, and some places will extend the season into October. Last weekend was the end of the season at one of our favorite restaurants, "Testal".
However, we did not go there for the "chile en nogada". They have another dish that they only serve this time of year that we like just as much. We had not yet had a chance to have it this year, so when we were in the "Centro Histórico" on Saturday, we made it a point to have dinner at "Testal".
The dish in question is "enchiladas agustinas". It too is traditional for Independence Day. The enchiladas are filled with the same stuffing of meat, fruit and nuts that is used in the "chile en nogada". It is covered with "mole poblano", the thick, dark "mole" sauce that comes from Puebla. As with the "chile en nogada", it is then sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.
"Testal" has excellent "mole", although it might be too spicy for some "gringo" tastebuds. We really can't decide which we like better... "chiles en nogada" or "enchiladas agustinas".
By the way, I asked Alejandro what the meaning of the restaurant's name, "Testal", is. He said that it comes from Nahautl, the language of the Aztecs, and it refers to a ball of corn dough before it has been flattened into a tortilla.
No comments:
Post a Comment