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
Noodle Therapy 