Serves 6
2 pounds tomatillos, washed & husked
1 Anaheim chile
2 cups chicken broth, purchased
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium-size onions, white, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
24 very fresh corn tortillas
½ cup canola oil
1 cooked rotisserie chicken, purchased, skinned, boned and shredded
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup Mexican Crema or Sour Cream, to serve
For Roasted Tomatillo Sauce:
Pre-heat broiler. Place tomatillos and Anaheim chile under hot broiler until they are blistered and roasted; about 4-5 minutes. Turn over and roast the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes. Cool and transfer to blender (with juice from tomatillos) to blend until smooth. Before adding the chile to the blender, remove the stem and seeds and peel the clear layer of skin off and discard. Add to blender. In a large heavy frying pan heat the oil on a medium heat and add half of the chopped onions. Stir and cook for 7-8 minutes. Add half of the chopped garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add the tomatillo/chili mixture and stir. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir in the chicken broth and season with about 1 teaspoon salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble the enchiladas.
For enchiladas:
Warm the tortillas in foil in a 300 degree oven for 7-8 minutes while sautéing the chicken mixture. This makes the tortillas more pliable for rolling.
In a heavy medium frying pan, heat the canola oil. Add remaining chopped onion and sauté for 7-8 minutes. Add remaining garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the chicken and ½ teaspoon salt and freshly cracked pepper. Remove from heat.
To assemble the enchiladas:
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Place half of the Roasted Tomatillo Sauce in a wide bowl. Dip 2 corn tortillas for each enchilada in the sauce to coat. Lay both tortillas together in pan and add about 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture and 1-2 tablespoons of the cheese. Roll tightly and place seam side down in the pan. Continue until you have made all 12 enchiladas. Ladle about 2 cups of the sauce evenly over the enchiladas (reserving 1 cup for serving) and sprinkle with the last bit of cheese. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes until heated through.
To serve the enchiladas:
Place 2 enchiladas on a dinner plate. Top with additional sauce and a dollop of Mexican Crema or Sour Cream and serve.
Shortcut: If you cannot find tomatillos in the produce section of your supermarket, purchase a 28 oz can of green enchilada sauce in the international food aisle instead of making your own sauce.
