Mexican Lasagna

By á-1046

From the Frog Commissary Cookbook

Ingredients

• Chicken Layer
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tsps. crushed coriander seeds
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" strips
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• Pork Layer
• 3/4 lb. ground pork
• 1 1/2 tsps. ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbls. minced roasted jalapeno peppers or 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbls. white vinegar
• Onion Mixture
• 2 Tbls. olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 2 (4 oz.) cans mild green chilies, chopped
• Tomato Sauce
• 4 lbs. ripe tomatoes
• 2 Tbls. olive oil
• 1 Tbls. minced garlic
• 2 Tbls. sugar
• 1 3/4 tsps. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• Assembly
• 18 5" tostados (corn tortillas fried until crisp in 1/2" corn oil, drained)
• 3 cups Crème Fraiche (or 3 cups sour cream mixed with 3 Tbls lemon juice)
• 2 eggs
• 1 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 Tbls. minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Chicken Layer
Combine the stock, coriander seeds, and bay leaves in a deep skillet and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the chicken, cover, and again bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, and cook 7-10 minutes more or until the chicken is just done. Pour the contents of the skillet into a sieve set over a bowl to catch the broth. Let the chicken cool. Return the broth to the pan and reduce the liquid over medium heat to 1/2 cup. Set aside. Remove any bay leaves and seeds from the chicken and cut the meat into 1/2 " dice. Combine the chicken with the reduced broth, the salt, and the pepper.
Pork Layer
Combine all the ingredients in a skillet and cook over a medium heat until the pork loses its pink color and the vinegar has evaporated. Set aside.
Onion Mixture
Heat the olive oil in a 9" skillet. Add the onions, salt, and chilies and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
Tomato Sauce
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Put the tomatoes stem side down in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the skeins are lightly charred. Puree tomatoes, skins, stems and all, in a food processor and then put them through a sieve. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and saute for about 15 seconds. Add the pureed tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook, while stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the mixture has thickened (like tomato sauce). Set aside.
Assembly
Lightly oil a 9" X 13" baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the Crème Fraiche with the eggs and set aside. Put down a layer of 6 tostados. Mix the chicken with half the onion mixture, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce and spread over the tostados. Drizzle on 1 cup of crème fraiche. Scatter on 1 cup of the cheese. Put down 6 more tostados, pressing down to level and compact the fillings below. Combine the pork with the remaining onions and 1 cup tomato sauce. Spread this over the tostados and top with 1 cup of crème fraiche and 1 cup of the cheese. Put down the last 6 tostados. Spoon the remaining crème fraiche over the top. Put down the remaining cheese. The dish will be quite full. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the minced cilantro or parsley