CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH MOLE
Ingredients
Mole
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 4 dried ancho chiles
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 heaping tbsps peanut butter
• 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
• 1 heaping tbsp dried Mexican or Italian oregano
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 disks of Mexican chocolate, chopped (or 3 oz bittersweet chocolate + 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp almond extract)
Enchiladas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
mole’ sauce
1 cup queso fresco cheese or mild feta cheese, crumbled
8 flour tortillas (8 in size)
3/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro|Mole
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 4 dried ancho chiles
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 heaping tbsps peanut butter
• 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
• 1 heaping tbsp dried Mexican or Italian oregano
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 disks of Mexican chocolate, chopped (or 3 oz bittersweet chocolate + 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp almond extract)
Enchiladas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
mole’ sauce
1 cup queso fresco cheese or mild feta cheese, crumbled
8 flour tortillas (8 in size)
3/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Molé
Soak ancho chiles in hot water until soft.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; add onions and garlic and stir cook until soft but not brown.
Transfer onion and garlic to a blender. Remove chiles from the hot water, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the chiles to the onions and garlic. Add 1/2 a cup of the soaking liquid, the chicken stock, peanut butter, tortilla chips, oregano and sesame oil. Blend until mixture is smooth and the consistency of thick soup. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more of the soaking liquid.
Pour the sauce back into the frying pan, and heat on medium. Add in the chocolate, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Remove from heat. Sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for several days. Reheat slowly, stirring constantly, before assembling enchiladas.
Enchiladas
Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 X 12 oven proof baking dish.
Combine the chicken with the 1 cup of molé. Set aside. Place one tortilla on a flat surface. Place two heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture near the edge closest to you. Top with some of the cheese and roll up the tortilla. Place the tortilla, seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese, arranging the rolled tortillas side by side in the dish.
When the dish is full, spoon the remaining molé evenly over the tortillas. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until sauce is bubbly. Divide enchiladas among warmed individual plates and top with crème fresh and cilantro. Serve with a fresh tomato salad or corn salsa
Tip: Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. Look for them in specialty food stores or larger grocery stores. They are worth looking for as their flavour and mild heat cannot really be substituted.
Tip: Mexican chocolate can be found at Scoop & Weigh in Winnipeg, and in Mexican or Latin food stores. It’s sold as a package of disks (3 inches each). It contains chocolate, spices and sometimes ground nuts. It’s used in mole’ and for making hot chocolate.
|Molé
Soak ancho chiles in hot water until soft.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; add onions and garlic and stir cook until soft but not brown.
Transfer onion and garlic to a blender. Remove chiles from the hot water, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the chiles to the onions and garlic. Add 1/2 a cup of the soaking liquid, the chicken stock, peanut butter, tortilla chips, oregano and sesame oil. Blend until mixture is smooth and the consistency of thick soup. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more of the soaking liquid.
Pour the sauce back into the frying pan, and heat on medium. Add in the chocolate, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Remove from heat. Sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for several days. Reheat slowly, stirring constantly, before assembling enchiladas.
Enchiladas
Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 X 12 oven proof baking dish.
Combine the chicken with the 1 cup of molé. Set aside. Place one tortilla on a flat surface. Place two heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture near the edge closest to you. Top with some of the cheese and roll up the tortilla. Place the tortilla, seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese, arranging the rolled tortillas side by side in the dish.
When the dish is full, spoon the remaining molé evenly over the tortillas. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until sauce is bubbly. Divide enchiladas among warmed individual plates and top with crème fresh and cilantro. Serve with a fresh tomato salad or corn salsa
Tip: Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. Look for them in specialty food stores or larger grocery stores. They are worth looking for as their flavour and mild heat cannot really be substituted.
Tip: Mexican chocolate can be found at Scoop & Weigh in Winnipeg, and in Mexican or Latin food stores. It’s sold as a package of disks (3 inches each). It contains chocolate, spices and sometimes ground nuts. It’s used in mole’ and for making hot chocolate.
