Flautas
A giant platter of flautas is a stunning sight on a table, and the contrasting flavors and textures make it a fabulous eating experience as well. Chicken is rolled in corn tortillas and fried until crispy. The flautas are arranged on a platter, topped with a beautiful, pale green sauce that is at once silky and tart, drizzled with luscious Mexican sour cream, and sprinkled with creamy queso fresco. The result is a crunchy, creamy, and chewy burst of divine flavor. Mexican sour cream or crema is the Mexican version of crème fraîche, and both are milder versions of American sour cream. You can find crema in the refrigerated section of grocery stories that carry Latin ingredients. Crème fraîche is thicker, so if you use it instead, stir it well to loosen the consistency before drizzling.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Special equipment
Preparation
Step 1
In a blender, place the drained tomatillos and avocado. Blend until very well pureed. Add salt to taste and set aside.
Step 2
Wrap about 10 tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and heat for 2 minutes in the microwave; this will make them soft for rolling into flautas. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the chicken in a straight line just below the center of the tortilla. Starting at the side closest to you, roll the tortilla into a tight cylinder and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken.
Step 3
Line a baking sheet or platter with paper towels. In a large skillet, pour the oil to about 1/2 inch and heat to about 365°F. over medium heat. Place several flautas in the oil and fry until golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Use tongs to remove the flautas from the oil, making sure to turn them straight up to let the oil run out of the cylinder. Transfer to the paper towel–lined pan to drain. Continue until all the flautas are fried. Remove and discard the toothpicks.
Step 4
Arrange the fried flautas on a serving platter. Pour over some of the reserved green sauce; transfer the rest to a gravy boat to pass at the table. Drizzle with the sour cream (if using crème fraîche, stir it first if it’s very stiff) and sprinkle over queso fresco. Serve.
