Chicken enchiladas
Corn tortillas rolled around shredded chicken and cheese, smothered in a smooth red chile sauce and baked until bubbling.
Method
- 1
Snip the stems off the chiles and shake out the seeds.
- 2
Toast the chiles in a dry frying pan over medium heat, pressing them flat, until fragrant and blistered but not blackened.
- 3
Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and soak until soft.
- 4
Meanwhile, poach the chicken in the stock at a gentle simmer until cooked through.
- 5
Lift the chicken out, keeping the stock, and shred it with two forks.
- 6
Drain the chiles and blend them with 500 ml of the poaching stock, the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and tomato paste until very smooth.
- 7
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan, pour in the sauce through a sieve, and simmer until slightly thickened and darker in colour. Season with the salt.
- 8
Heat the oven to 190°C. Mix the chicken with half the cheese and 120 ml of the sauce.
- 9
Brush the tortillas lightly with oil and warm them in a hot dry pan for about 20 seconds per side until soft and pliable.
- 10
Spread a thin layer of sauce over the base of the baking dish.
- 11
Dip each tortilla in the sauce, fill with chicken, roll up and lay it seam side down in the dish.
- 12
Pour the remaining sauce over the top and scatter with the rest of the cheese.
- 13
Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese has melted.
- 14
Serve topped with sour cream and coriander.
Notes
- Warming the tortillas first stops them cracking as you roll them.
- Guajillo chiles are mild and fruity and ancho chiles add sweetness. For more heat, add one or two dried chiles de árbol.
- The sauce keeps for 5 days in the fridge and also freezes well.
Equipment
Frying pan, Medium saucepan, Heatproof bowl, Blender, Sieve, 23 x 33 cm baking dish