Monday, August 30, 2010

Chicken Enchiladas w/Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa



I know what you’re thinking... this looks time consuming.  You’re right, but it’s not difficult.  Save this recipe for an afternoon when you want to enjoy making something new.  The roasted tomatillo sauce has a wonderful smoky flavor that adds a lot of character.  The creamy chicken filling is delicious as well.


My son’s friend Shelby Law forwarded this recipe to me last week, and I decided to give it a whirl.  I’m not a fan of complicated mexican fare - that’s why I prefer to go out for Mexican.  But Shelby’s recommendation  (“it was delish!”) made me want to try it.

There were a few things I learned from this recipe.  

Rotisserie chicken is a great timesaver!  I already knew this, but it will yield about 3 cups of moist, freshly roasted meat - perfect for this recipe.

The directions call for a “2 count” of olive oil.  This term comes from having a pour spout in the bottle of oil - with a 4 count being one ounce.  

I also learned that jalapeno peppers are spicier with the seeds and membranes intact because of a substance known as capsaicin.  If you want this spicy - leave them in.  If not - be sure to remove them as you prepare them.  Whatever you do, don’t forget to wash your hands with both soap and water to remove the capsaicin as soon as possible - and don’t touch your face and eyes before doing so. 

Tomatillos are strange little things.  They really aren’t a bother, as you don’t need to peel or de-seed them before using.  The only caveat is removing the husks - similar to shucking corn.  When roasted, they take on an entirely different flavor.  Next time, I’m going to roast them till they are almost burnt to develop the flavor a little more.

I used more than double the amount of cheese the recipe calls for - a mexican 4-cheese blend of monterey jack, cheddar, asadero, and queso quesadilla cheeses.  It was delicious and different, melting a little better than standard monterey jack.

We really liked these enchiladas.  They still aren’t my all-time favorite, but they closely resemble those I’ve ordered before in upscale Mexican restaurants.  

For the recipe, go to:

1 comment:

  1. That looks SO good! I had planned to do Enchiladas Suisas for dinner tonight but you just changed my plan. It's cool and rainy today (promising Fall) and thus some time spent cooking hot and spicy food in the kitchen today will be perfect. Thank you!

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