This was one of those at-the-gym-watching-Food-Network finds (in fact the same gym session as Guy Fieri's bacon+pasta show!) Tyler Florence cooked Ultimate Chicken Enhiladas, and he had me at the roasted tomatillos. I couldn't wait to try making these myself, and am very glad that I did.
cook's notes:
- If your tomatillas are of different sizes, cut the larger ones or roast them for a longer time to make sure that they are all cooked through.
- Roast the garlic unpeeled. You can easily slip it out of the peel after it's cooked.
- I used hot finger peppers instead of jalapenos. We like the extra heat.
- When making the salsa verde, add the lime and cilantro last, adjusting to taste. I used half the cilantro, and all of the lime. For a while it seemed like it might have been too much lime, but by the time I mixed everything else together it was perfectly balanced.
- If you use a purchased rotisserie chicken, check that it's 3 pounds. The one that I bought was only 1.5 pounds, so I had to make a half recipe. The 1.5 pound chicken yielded 3/4 pound of shredded meat. I often use leftover cooked chicken that I try to keep in my freezer. A full recipe would require 1.5 pounds of shredded chicken.
- If you use a purchased rotisserie chicken, check that it's 3 pounds. The one that I bought was only 1.5 pounds, so I had to make a half recipe. The 1.5 pound chicken yielded 3/4 pound of shredded meat. I often use leftover cooked chicken that I try to keep in my freezer. A full recipe would require 1.5 pounds of shredded chicken.
- Use a whisk when adding the chicken stock to the pan for the veloute to keep lumps from forming (or to break up lumps that have already formed). It took about 5 minutes of simmering for my sauce to thicken.
- I added water to the salsa when it came time to dip the tortillas. There are lots of things that the salsa is needed for, and I wanted to have enough.
- I used half white tortillas and half whole wheat tortillas. We preferred the whole wheat.
- I used a bag of pre-shredded Mexican blend cheese.
- An 8x8" pyrex baking dish was a good size for half a recipe.
the verdict
This really was the ultimate chicken enchilada! It was a bit of work, but the flavors had an amazing complexity from the different steps. Well worth the effort.
My husband gave this a 10 out of 10. I can't remember a better Mexican dish that I've put on the table.
for next time/ time saving tips
To save time, I plan to make a large batch of the salsa verde and freeze it. Doubling the salsa verde recipe would be easy, as there's very little chopping. But it would have to be pureed in 2 batches in the food processor, I think.
Using pre-shredded chicken, in addition to the pre-shredded cheese would also save time.
- I added water to the salsa when it came time to dip the tortillas. There are lots of things that the salsa is needed for, and I wanted to have enough.
- I used half white tortillas and half whole wheat tortillas. We preferred the whole wheat.
- I used a bag of pre-shredded Mexican blend cheese.
- An 8x8" pyrex baking dish was a good size for half a recipe.
the verdict
This really was the ultimate chicken enchilada! It was a bit of work, but the flavors had an amazing complexity from the different steps. Well worth the effort.
My husband gave this a 10 out of 10. I can't remember a better Mexican dish that I've put on the table.
for next time/ time saving tipsTo save time, I plan to make a large batch of the salsa verde and freeze it. Doubling the salsa verde recipe would be easy, as there's very little chopping. But it would have to be pureed in 2 batches in the food processor, I think.
Using pre-shredded chicken, in addition to the pre-shredded cheese would also save time.
10 comments:
Ciao Nancy ! I'm finally back ! It has been a hard week for different reasons,I hope the pc will be the beginning of a new start ! Your enchilada looks wonderful ! I've never seen tomatillos, do you think I could substitute them ? (by the way the cardamom idea is super. the time I start all over with the right timing i'll make a batch with it !)
I can't believe that you posted this today, Nancy! I was looking for an enchilada recipe yesterday, and actually emailed this one to myself so that I'd have the ingredients on my blackberry when I stopped at the store. I ended up going with an easier Martha Stewart one, because I thought that the tomatillo husking would be too much for last night -- but this one really jumped out at me and totally made my mouth water, and I vowed to try it soon! Now that I know that it gets your seal of approval, I'll definitely be making it. Your salsa pictures are fantastic -- gosh, this really looks wonderful!
Looks so delicious!
This looks great, Nancy. I love enchiladas and like to find new ways to make, eat, enjoy.... Will have to try this one.
You make such wonderful Mexican food! I've never tried - but I'm bookmarking this one for when(ever) I can cook again!
Audrey
I am all over this. I need to kick up our enchiladas (and quit using a McCormick's sauce mix. I know I know. For shame!) This looks fabulous!
I love enchiladas smothered in salsa verde! So tasty!
Your recipe looks sooo good! I love using tomatillos and make a mean pork with chile verde that's good in burritos.
This looks incredible! You had me at "roasted tomatillos" too.
Oh my gosh! Those enchiladas look so fantastic. I have been craving enchiladas verde for about 2 months now but I can't bring myself even to hunt up the tomatillos, let alone make the salsa verde. Your post just might be my inspiration . . . they look waaay to good to pass up!
Post a Comment