Enchiladas Verdes

Corn Tortillas filled with Chicken, Cilantro and Monterey Jack covered with a Chile & Tomatillo sauce and topped with Queso Fresco and Crema Mexicana (sour cream). This one ain't for a weeknight, trust me, but if you're looking for an amazing weekend meal or just have the extra time or inclination these make an impressive, delicious dinner. While this recipe does have a fair amount of steps and clean up it's really straight forward, not too complicated at all. Of course, if you want to simplify this recipe you can skip the sauce and just make some great Chicken Taco Filling. 

This recipe is adaptated (yet again) from Americas Test Kitchen. Those guys are awesome. Watch their shows on PBS and Check out their website: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=14761&incode=M**ASCA00

AND this cookbook is amazing! I use it all the time!

1 Lb            Chicken Breasts, skinless
1 1/2 Cups   Chicken Broth, low sodium
1 Med          Yellow Onion, chopped
2 Tsp           Garlic, pressed/minced
1/2 Tsp        Cumin
1/4 Tsp        Coriander 

• First, lets poach the chicken. You could poach it in water but that'd be bland and boring. So, chop a yellow Onion, saute it, add the Garlic, Cumin and Coriander and cook for 30 seconds until wonderfully fragrant. Pour in the low sodium Chicken Broth. Bring your enhanced chicken broth to a simmer and add 1 pound of skinless chicken breasts (I used bone-in today but boneless is easier). Cover, let the chicken simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken is 160 degrees. Don't forget to turn the chicken over half way through. Remove chicken and let cool. Reserve at least 1/4 cup of cooking liquid. 

Swimming in flavor

While the chicken is cooling lets make our sauce. 

3 Med        Poblano or Jalapeno Chiles 
1 1/2 Lbs   Tomatillos 
1 Tsp         Salt
1 Tsp         Sugar
1 Tsp         Garlic, pressed/minced
1/4 Cup     Cooking Liquid (our enhanced chicken broth)

• Preheat your broiler. The recipe calls for Poblanos. I have trouble finding them around here, even at the super mercado, so tonight I'm using a mix of Anaheim and Jalapeno. Any green chiles will work. Halve the chiles and remove the ribs and seeds (if you love heat leave some jalapeno ribs/seeds). Remove the paper husk from the tomatillos and give them a quick rinse. If you have large tomatillos cut them in half as well. Toss the chiles and tomatillos in a bit of vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Broil on the middle rack until they begin to get black and charred. Rotate the sheet for even cooking. Let cool.
• Once cool enough to handle peel the blackened skin off the chiles. Leave the skin on the tomatillos. Throw the roasted chiles, tomatillos, garlic, salt, sugar and cooking liquid in a large food processor or blender and pulse until slightly chunky. Give your sauce a taste, it may need a touch more sugar or cooking liquid. 

Before

After

Ready! 

Now that the sauce is ready and the chicken has cooled lets finish our filling and tortillas and get this bad boy in the oven.

1 1/2 Cups   Monterey Jack, grated
1/2 Cup       Cilantro, chopped 

• Shred the chicken, grate the cheese and chop the cilantro and toss together in a bowl. Add salt to taste. You can also add more cumin or anything else you like now. 

All that's left is to prep your tortillas and fill them. I recommend Mission brand extra thin yellow corn tortillas.

• Quickly fry 12-14 tortillas in a small amount of very hot (but not smoking) corn oil, about 10-15 seconds each. Put each tortilla between paper towels as you go.

Enchiladas Assemble!!

• Preheat your oven to 350. Get a 13x9 glass baking dish and pour enough sauce to cover the bottom. 
• Fill each tortilla with 1/4-1/2 cup filling, depending on tortilla size and roll. Place enchiladas seem side down in the dish. Repeat until dish is full or you are out of filling or tortillas. (At this point you can refrigerate the dish overnight and bake when ready, just increase the baking time)
• Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce and top with Queso Fresco, Monterey Jack or your cheese of choice. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. 

Like this!

• Serve immediately with crema and a side of black beans. 

These are SO good! AND as good as they are tonight they are EVEN better the next day! Make them for people you love, then ask them to to the dishes ;)