One of my favorite foods in the entire galaxy is CHILAQUILES pronounced (chee-lah-KEE-lays”)!! Yes! My mouth waters just thinking about them. Chilaquiles, from the Nahuatl word chīlāquilitl, is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of corn tortillas cut in quarters and lightly fried. They are often served for breakfast with eggs and a side of beans, eggs and nopalitos (cactus). There are two versions - rojos and verdes (red and green). We will be making the red version and saving tons of time using a quick enchilada recipe that can be used for enchiladas rojos as well. Instead of toasting dried chiles, rehydrating them and blending them with tomatoes and spices, we use dried chile powder and spices and quickly simmer the sauce to perfection. We also save time by using fresh tortillas chips instead of frying them ourselves. This recipe is fast and not just for breakfast. Top chilaquiles with a fried egg over easy, sour cream, chopped cilantro and onion and enjoy. The runny yolk of the egg adds another touch of creaminess that sends this dish over the top.
This dish was adapted from a recipe from Zhee Zhee Aguirre, a former chef-instructor at Mira Mesa High School and now a restaurateur in Lake Tahoe. Zhee Zhee helped me tremendously when I first started teaching by sharing recipes and teaching techniques. She also coached some of the toughest and most competitive teen cooking teams in San Diego and California, consistently winning competitions and placing in the top 2 year after year. Thanks Zhee Zhee!
abbreviations:
c. = cup
tsp. = teaspoon
Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients:
Sauce:
1 c. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1/2 c. small diced onion
4 tsp. chili powder - or a combination of ancho, New Mexico or California chile powders.
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 1/2 c. chicken stock = 1 cup of water + 1 1/2 tsp. chicken broth powder (caldo de pollo) or substitute vegetable broth if vegetarian
2 tablespoons of oil - olive oil or vegetable
Directions:
Heat oil in a small sauté pan until barely smoking. Saute onion and garlic until caramelized.
Stir in chile powder and cumin and toast for 30 seconds then remaining sauce ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add salt if needed.
Blend all until smooth, being careful to let some steam out the top of the blender while blending.
If using the next day, cool it down on an ice bath and store properly until ready to use.
Reheat sauce until boiling the next day if storing the day before.
if you want a thicker sauce, add 1 tablespoon of flour when you add the spices.
Chilaquiles:
Directions:
Add 6 to 8 cups of freshly fried tortilla chips to a large saute pan. Add the boiling enchilada sauce and coat evenly and heat thoroughly. Turn off heat immediately and serve. **Do not over cook the tortilla chips or they become soggy. The key to great chilaquiles is having a little crunch to them.
In a small non-stick pan, heat 1-2 teaspoons of oil. Crack an egg in a bowl, being careful not to crack the yolk. Season the egg with a three finger pinch of kosher salt. Add the egg to the oil and cook 2 minutes. Gently flip over and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Serve the chilaquiles with a drizzle of mexican crema (sour cream), the fried egg, chopped cilantro and diced onion.
Enjoy!
