Enchiladas Suizas w/ Frijoles de Olla

I generally like to keep my posts varied in terms of cuisine, type of dish and difficulty of execution. And I know that now, 3 of my last 4 posts will have featured Mexican flavors. But if our cooking truly is a reflection of how we feel (and I think it is), then I have to be true to myself. And I’ve just been really into Mexican food lately. I eat at the same taqueria at least once a week, but even that was insufficient in satisfying my cravings, so I brought the fiesta home with me.

I love the comforting aspects of Mexican cuisine (when executed PROPERLY). The toothsome chew and intense corn flavor of a handmade tortilla; the porcine fattiness and crisp texture of perfectly fried carnitas or chicharrones; the complex, dried-fruit, nut and smoke flavors of various dried chiles; the mouth-coating body and silky texture of slow-simmered beans; the fresh-apple crispness and vegetal heat of a raw jalapeno. I could go on…

Today, I felt like making a dish I never order in restaurants, as I’m usually too tempted by other dishes. These enchiladas are called “Swiss” in Spanish because of their creamy sauce and cheesy topping. But they get a nice, (for lack of a better word) green flavor from roasted chiles, tomatillos and cilantro, my all-time favorite herb. For the filling, I took a shortcut and got pre-cooked, pre-shredded chicken from Safeway. I served these with a pot of pinto beans, simmered for 2 1/2 hours with a sliced white onion and some rendered bacon.

Enchiladas Suizas

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb. tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed
• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ tsp. cumin seeds, toasted
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 poblano chiles
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 6″ corn tortillas
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella

Method

• Arrange an oven rack 4″ from the broiler and heat broiler to high. Place tomatillos, serranos and poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil, turning as needed, until blackened all over, about 10 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes, peel and discard skins and roughly chop the poblanos. Transfer to a blender along with cilantro, sour cream, cumin, garlic and 1 cup boiling water; season with salt and pepper, and purée until smooth. Set enchilada sauce aside
• Heat a dry 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. One at a time, cook tortillas just until pliable, about 15 seconds per side. Transfer tortillas to a work surface. Place chicken in a bowl and toss with 1 cup enchilada sauce until evenly coated. Divide sauced chicken evenly among tortillas, and roll tortillas tightly around chicken. Pour about 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, and place tortilla rolls in dish, seam side down, creating one row down the center of the dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over rolls, and cover evenly with mozzarella
• Heat oven to 375°. Bake enchiladas until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted on top, 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving

My pot of beans, simmering away

Red Mole Enchiladas with Shredded Turkey

We got a lot of mileage out of our Thanksgiving turkey this year…After two dinners of straight-up turkey, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup with wild rice, and two more nights of turkey gumbo, we finally had come to the last of our bird. And it was time, I thought, to do something a little less…American.

I had been wanting to try this recipe for chicken enchiladas with red mole, but I thought the turkey would make a good substitute (I’ve read turkey is a more traditional ingredient in Mexican cuisine than chicken, anyway, as turkeys are native to Mexico). So, I shredded up the last drumsticks and wings (how did those not get eaten earlier?) and ate some of the last turkey I’m sure I will have in a long time…

BTW, the accompanying soup is a puree of black beans, roasted onion, garlic and tomato, cumin, oregano and creme fraiche (which we had leftover from Thanksgiving, but sour cream or Mexican crema would work, too). If you have an immersion blender, this silky soup is a breeze to make and, as a Mexican side dish, it’s a nice break from the overplayed accompaniment of refried or stewed pinto beans.

Red Mole Enchiladas with Shredded Turkey

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 8 medium (about 4 ounces total) dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferable Mexican
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• a big pinch cumin, preferably freshly ground
• a scant 1/4 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or pork lard, if you’ve got it)
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) whole almonds (with or without skins)
• 1 medium white onion, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 plum tomatoes
• a scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces roughly chopped Mexican chocolate
• 2 slices firm white bread , toasted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 10-12 corn tortillas
• 3 cups cooked, coarsely shredded turkey

Method

• Roast the unpeeled garlic directly on a dry heavy skillet over medium heat until soft and blackened in spots, about 15 minutes; cool and peel. While the garlic is roasting, toast the chiles on another side of the skillet: 1 or 2 at a time, open them flat and press down firly on the hot surface with a spatula; in a few seconds, when they crackle and send up a wisp of smoke, flip them and press down tot toast the other side. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water
• Combine the oregano, black pepper, cumin and cloves in a food processor or blender, along with the chiles, garlic and 2/3 cup of the broth. Process to a smooth puree, scraping and sitrring every few seconds. If the mixture won’t go through the blender blades, add a little more liquid. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl
• In a medium-size heavy pot, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil or lard over medium. Add the almonds and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the almonds to a blender or food processor. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until richly browned, about 10 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to scoop the onions in with the almonds, leaving behind as much oil as possible. Add the raisins, stir for one minute so they puff up, then use the slotted spoon to scoop them in with the almonds
• Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6-8 minutes, then flip them over and roast the other side. Cool, peel and add to the almond mixture in the food processor, along with the cinnamon, chocolate and bread. Add 1 cup of the broth and blend to a smooth puree, scraping and stirring every few seconds
• Return the pot to medium-high heat and, if necessary, add a little more oil or lard to coat the bottom lightly. When very hot, add the ancho mixture and cook, stirring almost constantly, until darker and very thick, about 5 minutes. Add the pureed almond mixture and cook, stirring constantly for another few minutes, until very thick once again. Stir in the remaining 4 1/3 cups of the broth, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low for 45 minutes. Taste and season with salt and sugar until the mole is slightly sweet and balanced
• In a dry, non-stick skillet over high heat, warm tortillas one at a time until soft and pliable, about 10 seconds per side, and keep covered under a kitchen towel so they stay warm
• To finish the enchiladas, in a medium-size saucepan, combine the turkey with 1 1/2 cups of the mole and warm over medium heat. Bring the remaining mole to a simmer. When you’re ready to serve, quickly make the enchiladas by scooping 2 generous tablespoons of chicken onto a tortilla, rolling it up and placing it on a warm dinner plate, seam side down. Continue making enchiladas, arranging 2 or 3 per plate, then douse them liberally with the mole