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Fried Chicken - Filled Tortillas With Green Tomato Sauce
(Enchiladas Verdes)
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| What You Need: |
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2 whole chicken breasts, each about ¾ pounds
1 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
6 ounces cream cheese
2 cups heavy cream
¾ cup finely chopped onions
6 fresh "poblano" chilies, about 5 inches long, or substitute 6 fresh green peppers, about 3½ inches in diameter
A 10-ounce can Mexican green tomatoes, drained
2 canned "Serrano" chilies, drained, rinsed in cold water and finely chopped
5 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 egg
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons lard
12 tortillas or 12 readymade tortillas
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Place the chicken breasts in a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan, pour in the stock and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to its lowest point, cover the pan, and simmer the breasts for about 20 minutes, or until they are tender but not falling apart. Transfer the breasts to a plate and reserve the stock.
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2. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, cut the meat away from the bones and shred it into small pieces. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a wooden spoon until it is smooth, then beat into it ½ cup of cream, 3 tablespoons at a time. Stir in the onions, add the shredded chicken, mix thoroughly, and put the mixture aside while you make the sauce.
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3. Roast the "poblano" chilies or green peppers by impaling them, one at a time, on the tines of a long-handled fork and turning them over a gas flame until the skin blisters and darkens on all sides. Or place the chilies on a baking sheet or broiler pan, and broil them about 3 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes or so, turning them so that they color on all sides. Be careful not to let them burn.
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4. Wrap the chilies in a damp, clean towel and let them rest in the towel for a few minutes. Gently rub them with the towel until the skins slip off. Cut out their stems and thick white membranes, and discard the seeds. Chop the chilies coarsely and place them in the jar of an electric blender.
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5. Add the tomatoes, "serrano" chilies, coriander and ¼ cup of the reserved chicken stock. Blend at high speed until the mixture is reduced to a smooth puree. Pour in the remaining 1½ cups of cream, the egg, salt and pepper, and blend for 10 seconds longer. Scrape the puree into a large bowl.
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6. To make the sauce by hand, puree the chilies, tomatoes, "serrano" chilies and coriander in a food mill set over a bowl. Discard any pulp remaining in the mill. Stir in the ¼ cup of stock, 1½ cups of cream, the egg, salt and pepper, and mix together thoroughly.
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7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt the lard over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Fry and fill the tortillas, one at a time, in the following traditional fashion: Dip a tortilla in the chili-tomato sauce, drop it into the skillet and fry it for a minute or so on each side, or until limp.
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8. Transfer the tortilla from the pan to a plate and place ¼ cup of the chicken filling in its center. Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling, then roll the tortilla up completely into a thick cylinder. Place it, seam side down, in a shallow 8-by-12-inch baking dish.
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9. Fry and fill the remaining tortillas in a similar fashion, replenishing the lard in the frying pan when necessary. When the tortillas are all arranged in one layer in the baking dish, pour the remaining chili tomato sauce over them and sprinkle the top evenly with grated cheese.
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10. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the enchiladas brown lightly on top. Serve at once.
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NOTE: You may substitute 3 cups of leftover lean roast pork, finely shredded, for the chicken.
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