Enchiladas Rojas
When I was growing up, enchiladas were a family affair. On enchilada night, my sisters and I knew we would be called upon to take our positions alongside our mom in the kitchen: one sister fried the tortillas, another dipped them in the sauce, another (usually me) stuffed them, and the last rolled and transferred them to the pan. I can never think about enchiladas without remembering all those happy times in the kitchen. Not everyone in the house loved onions as much as my dad did, so Mom had us add the onions to only half of the enchiladas. She’d stick a toothpick in the pan with the onions to mark it, and everyone could sit down to enjoy the same meal.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
For the sauce: Place the tomatoes and chiles in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook gently until the chiles are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and remove the stems from the chiles. Working in batches if necessary, place the tomatoes, chiles, garlic, and chicken broth in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until well pureed.
Step 2
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium heat until shimmery and hot but not smoking. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat. Set aside until cool.
Step 3
For the enchiladas: Line a baking sheet or platter with paper towels. In a small skillet, heat 1 cup of oil until shimmery and hot but not smoking. Lightly fry the tortillas one at a time just until softened, 5 to 10 seconds per side. Transfer to the paper towel–lined pan to drain.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat one or two baking dishes with cooking spray.
Step 5
Working with one tortilla at a time, dip a tortilla in the red sauce, lightly soaking both sides completely. Place the tortilla in a baking dish and arrange about 1 tablespoon of chicken in a line just above the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle over a bit of onion, if desired. Tightly roll up the tortilla and place it at one end of the baking dish. Repeat with all of the tortillas until all the enchiladas are snug in the dish. Use a second baking dish if necessary.
Step 6
When all of the enchiladas are rolled and snug in a baking dish, pour over any remaining sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and cover the pan(s) with foil. Place the baking dishes in the oven until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve directly from the dish, using a spatula to scoop out the enchiladas. Serve with Mexican rice and refried beans.
dreid chiles
Step 7
My favorite dried chiles, also called peppers, are ancho, pasilla, and chipotle (dried and in adobo). Anchos are dried poblano peppers. They are large and very dark and have a sweet flavor. They are sometimes mistakenly labeled “pasilla” or “ancho pasilla,” but it’s easy to tell the difference; while true anchos are squat and wide, true pasillas are very long and thin.
Step 8
Pasilla chiles, also called negro chiles, have a mellow flavor. Both ancho and pasilla are very widely used in Mexican cooking, especially in moles and soups. I use both in my fantastic Tortilla Soup (page 45), which owes much of its depth to the dried chile.
Step 9
Chipotle chiles are dried, smoked jalapeños and are sold both dried and in cans mixed with a highly seasoned tomato sauce. They add smoky flavor and heat to Chili con Carne (page 110) and Chipotle Aïoli (page 162).
