Chicken & Chorizo Enchiladas with Ancho Chile & Queso Fresco
WHAT YOU NEED
- 16 corn tortillas
- 2 cups canola oil
- Small handful of fresh chives, cut in 1 pieces
- 1 bunch baby arugula
- 6 red radishes, sliced thin for garnish
- ½ cup Cacique® Crema Mexicana
- CHICKEN & CHORIZO FILLING
- 1 package (10 oz.) Cacique® Queso Fresco, crumbled
- 8 oz. boneless and skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced fine
- 6 oz. Cacique® beef, pork or soy chorizo, removed from casing
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- ANCHO CHILI SAUCE
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Ancho Chiles, seeded and stemmed
- 2 California Chiles, seeded and stemmed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf, dry or fresh
- 1 cup chicken/chorizo cooking liquid (see instructions for chicken/chorizo filling)
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
HOW TO MAKE IT
- For chicken and chorizo filling: In a small sauce pot, cook the chorizo and onion over medium heat for 5 minutes while crumbling the chorizo with a spoon. Add chicken and chicken stock, bring to a boil, turn down to a slow simmer and cook covered for about 25 minutes. Pour the broth rendered from the cooking into a cup and set aside. Remove and shred the chicken into small pieces, then add back to the chorizo. Season the chicken and chorizo mix, mix well and keep warm.
- For Ancho Chile sauce: In a small saucepot over medium heat, add the oil and all of the chiles, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon and cook for 1 minute. Add the reserved chicken/chorizo cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce into a blender and carefully blend (mixture is hot) until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- For assembly: Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat the oil to 350°F (or until lightly smoking) in a shallow sauté pan. One by one, dip a tortilla in the oil and fry for 20 seconds. Remove and let excess oil drip onto paper towels. Dip fried tortilla in Ancho Chile Sauce. Repeat the process with the other tortillas. The tortillas will NOT be crispy, just toasty in flavor. Lay out the tortillas on a clean tabletop. Sprinkle a generous amount of Cacique®Queso Fresco down the middle of each one, followed by the chicken and chorizo mix. Roll up the enchiladas and place on the serving platter. Spoon more Ancho Chile Sauce over the enchiladas, followed by a generous sprinkle of Cacique®Queso Fresco and drizzle of Cacique® Crema Mexicana. Place the enchiladas in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
- For presentation: Toss the chives, arugula and radishes and top the enchiladas with the chive/radish/arugula garnish.
