Enchiladas Suizas by DomesticMuse

By

Fabulous recipe for homemade chicken enchiladas with an unusual creamy red sauce instead of the traditional green tomatillo cream sauce. This is based on a Rick Bayless recipe from Mexico One Plate At A Time.

This is NOT an easy or quick recipe, but the results are so worth it. I spread the work over 3 days, so that is how the recipe is written.

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  • 4
  • 240 mins
  • 260 mins

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. ripe tomatoes
  • Fresh hot chiles to taste (3 serranoes or 2 jalapenos)
  • 1 1/2 T vegetable oil or rich-tasting pork lard
  • Canola oil spray
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 2 c. chicken broth, prefrerrably homemade
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 c. heavy cream, preferrably NOT ultra-pasteurized
  • 1/4 c. sour cream (with active cultures)
  • 3-4 boneless chicken breast halves
  • 2/3 c. shredded Mexican melting cheese (Chihuahua, quesadilla, adadero or the like) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • A few sliced rounds of white onion, separated into rings, for garnish
  • Sprigs of fresh cilantro for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

DAY ONE:
1. Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet or pan with nonstick spray. Season the breasts with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through and tender. Cool and then refrigerate.
2. Make homemade chicken broth if so inclined and you don't have any on hand.
3. Make the crema: In a glass measure, Heat the 1 c. heavy cream in the microwave until just good and warm. Whisk in the room-temp sour cream (1/4 c.). Pour into a clean glass jar. Place the lid on top but do not tighten it. Place in a warm place (80-85 degrees) for 12-24 hrs. or until thickened.

DAY TWO:

1. Shred the chicken. It may be easier to do if you warm it slightly first. (This is great job for kids.) You should have about 3 c. Cover and refrigerate.

2. Make The Sauce:
Roast the tomatoes and chiles on a baking sheet 4 in. below a hot broiler until darkly roasted (may be black and blistered in spots)-- about 10 minutes. Flip them over and roast on the other side-- 10 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatoes that are cooked through. Cool.

Working over your baking sheet, pull off and discard the blackened tomato skins and for round tomatoes, cut out the hard cores. Transfer the tomatoes and chiles to a food processor or blender, along with all the juices on the baking sheet. Blend to a smooth puree.

In a medium heavy soup pot, heat the oil or lard over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until golden, about 7 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and, when the pot is noticeably hotter, stir in the tomato puree. Cook, stirring, until darker in color and thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the broth, partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt. The sauce should have a slightly soupy consistency-- not as thick as spaghetti sauce. If it is too thick, add a little additional broth.

Stir in the crema, then cover and refrigerate the sauce.

3. Shred the cheese if needed.

DAY THREE: SHOWTIME!!
This sounds complicated, but it all goes together very quickly.

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Let the shredded chicken, tortillas, & cheese come to room temperature while you prep the cilantro sprigs and sliced white onion ring garnish. Set the garnishes aside.

3. Warm the sauce in the microwave.

4. Place the shredded chicken in a bowl and add 1/2-1 c. warmed sauce. Mix well. Add salt if needed.

4. Spray 6 individual baking dishes (gratin size works well) with non-stick spray and smear each about 1/4 c. of the warmed sauce.

5. Lay out your assembly line: Place a wooden cutting board on the counter and place a non-fuzzy, clean folded kitchen towel by it. Next to the cutting board, set a dinner plate. Above the plate, place the bowl of chicken/sauce mixture, with a good-sized spoon for scooping. Next to the plate, line up your individual baking dishes. Above the dishes, place the remaining sauce in a bowl with a ladle and the bowl of shredded cheese.

6. Prep the tortillas. Lay the tortillas on 2 baking sheets-- 6 tortillas to each sheet. Spray each tortilla with canola oil spray. Flip the tortillas and spray the other side.

Place the tortillas in the preheated oven for 3 minutes, to warm and soften them.

Working quickly, remove the tortillas from the oven & baking sheets and stack the warm tortillas on the cutting board. Cover immediately with the folded towel so they will stay warm.

7. Assemble the Enchiladas:
WORK QUICKLY so the tortillas stay warm and your enchiladas don't get mushy.

Remove a tortilla from under the towel (keep the rest covered) and lay it on the plate. Spoon some of the chicken mixture across the center of the tortilla (about 1/4-1/3 c.) and roll it up quickly. Place the filled, rolled tortilla in a baking dish.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas, placing 2 filled tortillas in each baking dish.

Douse the enchiladas evenly with the remaining sauce (make sure to cover the edges so they don't get hard). Sprinkle on the cheese.

8. BAKE THE ENCHILADAS:
Place the baking dishes on baking sheets and bake in the oven until heated through and the cheese has melted and started to brown-- about 20 minutes.

Garnish with the onion rings and the cilantro sprigs, and serve immediately.

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