From a major kitchen failure to this grand kitchen triumph, my cooking journey this past week has been filled with ups and downs. The healthy route and almond flour trail led to somewhere abysmal, wasting a perfectly good pineapple and a pretty plate in the process. This endeavor – Enchiladas Verdes in a tomatillo sauce- is a recipe from Pati Jinich, and she has always proven a fail-proof inspiration.
I’ve never been one to order enchiladas when out, but when I saw the ease of preparing this dish on Pati’s Mexican Table, I decided to give it a whirl. It worked out wonderfully. Check it out on her website here, and I’ll give a few pointers on what worked for me.
I got up a little earlier than usual to do the chicken part of it. If that can be done before work, the rest is much easier. By the time I hopped in the shower, the chicken had been boiled and shredded and stored in the fridge. In the past I failed to get the chicken out of the boiling water on time, choosing to play it super-safe and letting it get all sorts of tough. A good ten to fifteen minutes for a couple of chicken breasts works well – and I find that a lower boil works better than a furious one. I used breasts with the bones and the skin on for extra flavor – the stock is so much better that way.
When I got home from work, I assembled the tomatillo sauce. A food processr is the recommended method of blending it all together, but I’ve been using an immersion blender because it’s so much easier to clean. (Or so I’m told – you think I can cook AND clean? Please.) The recipe calls for 2 serrano chili peppers, but one is more than enough heat for me. The full cup of cilantro might seem excessive, especially for those not fans of the herb, but it’s vital here, and I realized that so many previous dishes I’ve tried may have suffered due to a reticence to go full-in on my cilantro portions. The more the merrier.
For the corn tortillas, do not omit the flash oil-frying step. It will toughen up the tortillas making them strong enough to handle their filling and surrounding sauce. Plus it adds another layer of decadent flavor.
Don’t be afraid that there is too much sauce – there won’t be. The enchiladas should basically be swimming in it, as they will absorb some and are designed to be soaked in all that gloriousness. The topping of queso fresco and cream is, of course, my favorite part.
Another winning dinner experience courtesy of Pati Jinich, who has yet to let me down. I think I’m ready to try her Sanborns’ Swiss Chicken Enchiladas recipe next… stay tuned.
