Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Chilaquiles verdes

Besides the mole at Palo Alto Sol, I think my favorite Mexican sauce is salsa verde made with charred tomatillos and poblano peppers.  The flavors are so bright and piquant that I never get tired of them, especially when teamed with lots of cilantro.


Salsa verde makes fantastic chilaquiles, a sort of casserole made with corn tortillas and various fillings (in this case, flavorful shredded chicken) with plenty of sauce, all topped with Monterey Jack cheese.  It takes a bit of time to make the component parts and then assemble them, but it’s certainly worth it; this dish is wonderfully satisfying.

The sauce – the star of the dish – is made of tomatillos, poblano peppers, and onion, all charred together under the broiler and then whirled together in the Cuisinart until smooth.  

I make a quick poached chicken for the filling, cooked simply in water with raw onion, garlic, and cumin.  The chicken is nicely moist and scented with the cumin; when shredded and mixed with cheese and cilantro, it makes a hearty and tasty base for the sauce.  If you’d like to save some time, using the meat from a supermarket rotisserie chicken would be a fine shortcut.

Once you’ve finished the preparatory steps, ultimately it’s quick to put the chilaquiles together: sauce – tortillas – chicken – sauce – tortillas – sauce – cheese.  Less than 30 minutes later, you’re ready to eat.  Be sure you have some sour cream and extra cilantro to add even more fresh flavor.

Chilaquiles verdes
Chicken
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 small yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Sauce
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
3 poblano peppers
1/2 small yellow onion
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Olive oil

12 corn tortillas
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese
1 bunch cilantro
Sour cream

Place chicken in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover, and add roughly chopped onion, peeled and smashed garlic cloves, cumin, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes, until chicken measures 160 degrees at its thickest point. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain chicken and set aside to cool.

Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut poblanos in half and remove ribs and seeds. Chop onion roughly and break up into pieces. Put all on a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with a light drizzle of olive oil, then spread out evenly. Place baking sheet about one inch from the heating element and broil for 10-13 minutes, until you see some charring.

Remove skin from poblanos once they have cooled enough to handle, then combine all the vegetables in a food processor along with the reserved chicken cooking liquid. Pulse until sauce is fairly smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar; taste, and add up to another teaspoon of sugar if needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Shred chicken and chop roughly, place in bowl. Grate cheese, and add 1 1/2 cups to the chicken. Chop cilantro (after removing large stems) and add 1/2 cup to chicken mixture. Stir to combine.  

Coat the bottom of a 9×12 inch baking dish with enough sauce to cover. Cut tortillas into quarters, and layer on half the tortilla pieces, followed by the chicken mixture. Spoon a bit more sauce over the chicken, then top with the remaining tortilla pieces. Finish with the rest of the sauce and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and remaining cilantro.

Serves 4 with leftovers.


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