Green Chile and Chicken Enchiladas

5 from 1 vote

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

1 1/5 pounds fresh Anaheim chiles about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles - roasted, peeled, seeds removed and coarsely chopped
7-8 ounces tomatillos about 4-5 medium, peeled and stems removed
4 cups chicken broth preferably homemade
1 clove garlic peeled and minced
2 tsp yellow onion minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp organic cornstarch dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening
your favorite hot sauce- optional
2 boneless organic chicken breasts
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
12 small corn tortillas 5-6 inch/13-15 cm. (you can also use wheat tortillas or other wraps)
6 ouces grated organic Monterey Jack cheese
cilantro for garnish chopped and sprinkled-optional

Coat each chile with a little olive oil. You can use a gas stove, or you can broil or grill them.
Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.
When they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until they are cool.
Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out. Or open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.
DO NOT RINSE!

Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft.
Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.
Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.
Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal grill. Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Grill the chicken until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes a side for boneless chicken breasts.
Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.
In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.
Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).
Drain on paper towels.
Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.
In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks of tortillas (I used my cast-iron skillet), ladle a thin layer of sauce.
Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup of sauce over the tortillas.
Divide half the chicken among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.
Stack another four tortillas, top with the rest of the chicken, more sauce and another third of the cheese.
Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.
Bake until the sauce has thickened and the cheese melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual gratin dishes.