Description
Mexican chicken enchiladas combine savory shredded chicken with corn tortillas and rich tomato sauce. Cheese-topped layers create a comforting meal that brings festive Mexican flavors directly to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 kg (4.4 lbs) whole free-range chicken
- 1 pork dripping
- 4 onions
- 1 small red onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 12 garlic cloves
- 1 garlic bulb
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 3 mixed-color heritage tomatoes
- 1 ripe plantain
- 1 corn on cob
- 2 limes
- 2 jalapeño chillies
- 250 g (8.8 oz) dried mulato peppers
- 160 g (5.6 oz) dried ancho pepper
- 160 g (5.6 oz) dried pasilla pepper
- 125 g (4.4 oz) sesame seeds
- 125 g (4.4 oz) unsalted peanuts
- 125 g (4.4 oz) blanched almonds
- 125 g (4.4 oz) raisins
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground clove
- 1 tsp star anise
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 50 g (1.8 oz) dried epazote (optional)
- 12
Instructions
- Chicken Poaching: Submerge chicken with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, peppercorns, and parsley in cold water. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 90 minutes, allowing chicken to rest in the flavorful broth afterward.
- Mole Sauce Preparation: Toast dried peppers until fragrant, rehydrate in boiling water. In a skillet, toast sesame seeds, peanuts, and almonds. Sauté chopped onions, garlic, and ground spices. Blend with plantain, tomatoes, raisins, and grated dark chocolate. Simmer sauce for one hour to develop complex flavors.
- Corn Salsa and Rice Ensemble: Char corn on a griddle, slice kernels, and combine with lime juice, salt, pepper, red onion, heritage tomatoes, and jalapeños. Simultaneously, sauté onion and garlic in pork drippings, add rice and chicken stock. Incorporate chopped coriander and parsley, cook until rice becomes fluffy.
- Enchilada Assembly: Shred poached chicken into tender strips. Warm mole sauce. Brush corn tortillas with pork drippings, fill with chicken, and fold into half-moon shapes. Fry until golden and crisp. Dunk each enchilada in warm mole sauce, plate with corn salsa and green rice.
Notes
- Poach with Patience: Slow-cooking chicken in aromatic vegetables and herbs ensures tender, flavorful meat that easily shreds and absorbs surrounding flavors.
- Toast Spices Carefully: Dry-toasting peppers, nuts, and spices releases essential oils, intensifying the depth and complexity of the mole sauce’s taste profile.
- Char for Maximum Flavor: Grilling corn directly on a griddle caramelizes natural sugars, adding smoky sweetness and robust character to the fresh salsa.
- Layer Textures Strategically: Frying tortillas before coating with mole sauce creates a crispy exterior that contrasts beautifully with the soft, rich chicken filling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 660
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 32 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg