Enchiladas
Verdes- (Fried Chicken Filled Tortillas
with Green Tomato Sauce)
Classic Latin American
Recipe
Serves:
6
Ingredients:
2 Whole Chicken Breasts (each about 3/4 pound)
1 cup Chicken Stock (fresh or canned)
6 oz. Cream Cheese
2 cups Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Onions (finely chopped)
6 Fresh Poblano Chilies (about 5 inches long, or substitute 6
fresh green peppers, about 3 1/2 inches in diameter)
A 10 oz. Can Mexican Green Tomatoes (drained)
2 Canned Serrano Chilies (drained, rinsed in cold water and finely
chopped)
5 tspn. Fresh Coriander (cilantro - coarsely chopped)
1 Egg
1 1/2 tspn. Salt
1/4 tspn. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 tbls. Lard
12 Tortillas
1/3 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Procedure:
1. Place the chicken breasts in a heavy 2- to
3-quart saucepan, pour in the stock and bring it to a boil over
high heat. Then reduce the heat to its lowest point, cover the
pan, and simmer the breasts for about 20 minutes, or until they
are tender but not falling apart. Transfer the breasts to a plate
and reserve the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle,
remove the skin, cut the meat away from the bones and shred it
into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese
with a wooden spoon until it is smooth, then beat into it 1/2
cup of cream, 3 tablespoons at a time. Stir in the onions, add
the shredded chicken, mix thoroughly, and put the mixture aside
while you make the sauce.
2.
Roast the poblano chilies or green peppers by impaling them, one
at a time, on the tines of a long-handled fork and turning them
over a gas flame until the skin blisters and darkens on all sides.
Or place the chilies on a baking sheet or broiler pan, and broil
them about 3 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes or so, turning
them so that they color on all sides. Be careful not to let them
burn. Wrap the chilies in a damp, clean towel and let them rest
in the towel for a few minutes. Gently rub them with the towel
until the skins slip off. Cut out their stems and thick white
membranes, and discard the seeds. Chop the chilies coarsely and
place them in the jar of an electric blender. Add the tomatoes,
serrano chilies, coriander and l/4 cup of the reserved chicken
stock. Blend at high speed until the mixture is reduced to a smooth
puree. Pour in the remaining cups of cream, the egg, salt and
pepper, and blend for 10 seconds longer. Scrape the puree into
a large bowl. (To make the sauce by hand, puree the chilies, tomatoes,
serrano chilies and coriander in a food mill set over a bowl.
Discard any pulp remaining in the mill. Stir in the l/4 cup of
stock, 1 1/2 cups of cream, the egg, salt and pepper, and mix
together thoroughly.)
3.
Preheat the oven to 350†. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt
the lard over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it.
Fry and fill the tortillas, one at a time, in the following traditional
fashion: Dip a tortilla in the chili-tomato sauce, drop it into
the skillet and fry it for a minute or so on each side, or until
limp. Transfer the tortilla from the pan to a plate and place
l/4 cup of the chicken filling in its center. Fold one side of
the tortilla over the filling, then roll the tortilla up completely
into a thick cylinder. Place it, seam side down, in a shallow
8-by-l2-inch baking dish. Fry and fill the remaining tortillas
in a similar fashion, replenishing the lard in the frying pan
when necessary. When the tortillas are all arranged in one layer
in the baking dish, pour the remaining chili-tomato sauce over
them and sprinkle the top evenly with grated cheese. Bake on the
middle shelf of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese
melts and the enchiladas brown lightly on top. Serve at once.
Note:
You may substitute 2 cups of leftover lean roast pork, finely
shredded, for the chicken.
Other
Related Links:
Classic
Latin American Recipes