Enchiladas Verdes (Green Chicken Enchiladas)

Ingredients for Enchiladas Verdes (Green Chicken Enchiladas)

• 1.4kg skinless chicken legs, thighs, and breasts, fat trimmed

• 450g chicken backs, fat trimmed

• 3 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 1 dried Mexican bay leaf

• 5 peppercorns

• 1 medium onion, quartered

• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt

• 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 900g tomatillos, husked and rinsed

• 2 large serrano chillies

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lard or canola oil

• 24 corn tortillas

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

• 2 cups Mexican crema (or soured cream)

• 240ml mild, shredded cheese, such as Monterrey Jack or Colby

At least 2 hours before you'd like to eat, place the chicken, 1 garlic clove, the bay leaf, peppercorns and a quarter of the onion in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to very low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken legs, thighs and breasts with tongs or a slotted spoon and let cool. Discard the chicken backs and strain the stock; set aside.

Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat and season with 3/4 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Set aside.

Place the tomatillos in a large saucepan. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic, peeled, and 1.9L ers of the onion. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat until the tomatillos turn pea green and soften, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. (Vegetarians can reserve the cooking water, turn up the flame, and reduce for 15 to 20 minutes, to use in lieu of chicken stock, if they choose.)

Stem the chillies and chop roughly with the cooked garlic. Add to a blender jar with half of the tomatillo mixture, and 120ml the strained chicken stock. (If you have a high-powered blender, toss all the ingredients in at once.) Blend until smooth. Add the remaining tomatillo-onion mixture and 1 teaspoon salt, and blend again until smooth.

Warm 1 tablespoon lard in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the sauce in one quick pour, being careful as it might splatter. Cook until the flavours meld, about 5 minutes.

Heat 2 teaspoons lard in a small skillet over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom. Fry the tortillas lightly, one at a time, until slightly tougher but still pliable, about 30 seconds per side. (They shouldn't be crisp.) As you work, remove the fried tortillas to serving plates—I like to serve 4 tortillas per person. Fold the tortillas in a half-moon shape and make sure they sit in an even layer on each plate.

Dice the remaining quarter of onion. Ladle 180ml sauce over over each serving of tortillas, spreading slightly so the tortillas are entirely smothered in sauce. Add a layer of diced onion and coriander, a layer of shredded cheese, a layer of chicken, some crema and another layer of sauce. Top with another light sprinkling of diced onion.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.