Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 600 g chicken thighs
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3 dried ancho chillies
• 2 tbsp chipotle in adobo
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 onions, one blended and one sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 200 g cheddar, grated
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150 g soured cream
• a handful of coriander

Method

1. Poach and shred

   Simmer the chicken in the stock until cooked, about 20 minutes, then shred it and keep the liquid for the sauce.

   20 min

2. Make a real red sauce

   Toast the anchos, soak them 20 minutes, then blend with the chipotle, tomatoes, one onion, garlic, cumin and a ladle of the poaching stock. Fry the blended sauce in a little oil for 10 minutes until it darkens — a raw blended sauce tastes thin and sharp.

   10 min

3. Sauce the chicken

   Mix the shredded chicken with the sliced onion and just enough sauce to bind it. Keep the rest for the top.

4. Soften the tortillas in oil

   Fry each tortilla in a little hot oil for 10 seconds a side, then drain. This is the step everyone skips and it is the whole difference — the oil waterproofs the tortilla so it stays intact under the sauce instead of dissolving into mush.

   3 min

5. Roll and cover

   Fill each tortilla, roll it, and pack them seam-down in a dish. Pour the remaining sauce over and scatter the cheese. Sauce only the top, not underneath, or the bases go soggy.

6. Bake and finish

   Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes until bubbling and browned. Rest 5 minutes, then add soured cream and coriander. Do not bake it longer hoping for crispness — enchiladas are meant to be soft.

   20 min