Enchiladas Verdes

Ingredients

• 1⅛ lbtomatillosgreen husk tomatoes, husked and rinsed, for the salsa
• 2chilifor the salsa; jalapeño works too, adjust to taste for heat
• 2 clovesgarlicpeeled, for the salsa
• 1onionwhite; part roughly chopped for the salsa, the rest thinly sliced or chopped for garnish (red onion also works)
• 1 bunchcilantrostems and leaves for the salsa, chopped leaves for garnish
• 14⅛ ozchicken breastcooked and shredded, for the filling
• 10corn tortillasabout three per plate
• 3½ ozcheesecrumbled or shredded for topping; a mild melting cheese can substitute
• ½ cupcreamfor drizzling; sour cream can substitute
• ¼ cupoilfor briefly frying the tortillas and cooking the salsa
• ½ cupchicken stockto thin and season the salsa
• saltto taste
• 1limejuice in the salsa or squeezed over when serving (optional)
• 1 tspOreganostirred into the salsa (optional)

Method

1. Cook tomatillos and chilesSimmer the husked, rinsed tomatillos and the serrano chiles in water or chicken stock for about 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Alternatively, roast them both in the oven or under the broiler.
2. Blend the salsaTransfer the tomatillos and chiles to a blender with the garlic, a roughly chopped portion of the onion, the cilantro stems and some of the leaves, and a pinch of salt, then blend until smooth. If you like, add Mexican oregano and a squeeze of lime juice.
3. Simmer the salsaHeat a little vegetable oil in a saucepan, pour in the salsa (careful, it will spatter), stir in the chicken stock and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and keep warm.
4. Cook and shred the chickenMeanwhile, cook the chicken breast however you like, whether boiled, pan-fried or baked, then shred it finely with two forks.
5. Soften the tortillas in oilHeat the rest of the oil in a skillet and fry the corn tortillas one at a time, just briefly, until soft and pliable. Let them drain for a moment.
6. Dip, fill and rollDip each tortilla quickly into the warm salsa, fill it with chicken and roll it up or fold it in half. Plate about three enchiladas per person, or line them all up side by side in a baking dish.
7. Sauce and optionally bakePour the remaining salsa generously over the enchiladas. If you want them baked, scatter cheese over them in the dish and slide them into a hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Garnish and serveFinish with crumbled queso fresco, Mexican crema, thin slivers of onion and chopped cilantro, and serve right away, with lime wedges for squeezing over if you like.

Tips and variations

Roasting the tomatillos and chiles instead of boiling them gives the salsa a gently smoky edge, and cooking it in lard rather than oil adds more depth. You can also brown the chicken in a skillet with onions, or brine it first and cook it in the oven. Want to skip the frying? Warm the tortillas in the microwave under a damp towel. Flour tortillas or store-bought salsa verde make handy shortcuts, and instead of queso fresco you can use Chihuahua, queso añejo, doble crema or Monterey Jack; sour cream stands in nicely for the crema. Serve the enchiladas with white rice and beans, and get them to the table straight away, while the tortillas are tender but not yet soggy.