Mexican Cooking Class; How to Make Enchiladas Verdes

Making homemade Enchiladas is a bit of work, so make a big batch and freeze an extra pan for dinner on a busy night. The enchiladas we prepare in our Mexican Foods cooking class feature homemade sauces and fresh seasonal ingredients. The trick to producing firm not soggy enchiladas is to:
1. lightly fry the tortillas before dipping them in the hot prepared sauce.
2. Use day old slightly dry corn tortillas, not flour tortillas
3. Bake for 15 minutes, lightly covered, in a 350 degree oven just until cheese melts.

A Cook With Us recipe
Enchiladas Suizas / Enchillada Verde
In Spanish, enchiladas are literally tortillas enhanced with chile sauce; in enchilada suiza, often called enchilada verde, the green sauce is made with tomatillos. This Swiss version of the Mexican classic is a creamy variation introduced in the 50″s.

 Spring 2011 022• 1 lb. tomatillos, husked and washed
• 2-3 serrano peppers, seeded, deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, rough chopped
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
• 1.5 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup Mexican crema or heavy whipping cream, whipped into soft peaks
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup melting cheese, ( Chihuahua, panela, or jack), chunked
• 1/3 cup aged Mexican cheese ( queso anejo, queso cotijo ), crumbled
• 1 dozen corn tortillas, day old and dry

Prepare sauce: Place tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet and broil until soft and blackened in spots. Toasting on a hot comal or cast iron skillet will work also. Scrape tomatillo and the juices into a blender. Add chiles and garlic, process to a smooth puree.

Heat oil in deep skillet; add onion, sauté until golden. Raise the heat to medium high and add the tomatillo puree. Cook for 5 min. stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and cook until sauce thickens a bit. (10-15 min.) Salt to taste. Stir the crema into the sauce. Keep warm over very low heat.

Prepare chicken: Season with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup of the sauce mixture to shredded chicken.

Prepare enchiladas: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a small skillet until very hot. Fry each tortilla, one at a time until slightly crisp. Lift the tortillas with tongs and quickly dip into the warm sauce, place on baking sheet.

Fill tortillas with a portion of chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in an oven proof dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the tortillas and cover with the melting cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese is lightly browned. (15- 20 min.) Garnish with cilantro and the crumbled aged cheese (queso cotijo)

Serves 4 – 6

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