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Enchiladas Verdes Recipe - America's Test Kitchen
You can substitute three 11-ounce cans of tomatillos, drained and rinsed, for the fresh ones in this recipe. Halve large tomatillos (more than 2 inches in diameter) and place them skin-side up for broiling in step 2 to ensure even cooking and charring. If you can’t find poblanos, substitute 4 large jalapeño chiles (with seeds and ribs removed). To increase the spiciness of the sauce, reserve some of the chiles’ ribs and seeds and add them to the food processor in step 3.
Enchiladas Verdes
Serves 4-6
We found three problems with making enchiladas verdes at home: Watery and thin sauce; mushy tortillas; and bland, dried-out chicken.
We wanted to recreate the memorable enchiladas verdes found in good Mexican restaurants: Moist, tender chicken and fresh, citrus-y flavors wrapped in soft corn tortillas and topped with just the right amount of melted cheese.
The first chile we chose for our sauce worked right off the bat; dark green poblanos contributed a mild to moderate heat and deep herbal flavor. In our next tests, fresh tomatillos won out over canned; the fresh had a tangier flavor. Broiling highlighted the flavor of both the poblanos and tomatillos, tempering the tartness of the tomatillos and bringing a near-sweet richness to the poblanos. To finish the sauce, we added raw garlic and sugar to deepen the flavor and poaching liquid from the chicken to give the sauce the proper consistency. As for the chicken, poaching the breasts in a broth spiked with sautéed onion, garlic, and cumin heightened their flavor. And adding pepper Jack cheese to both the filling and on top of the enchiladas gave the dish the right amount of gooeyness along with a spicy kick. Finally, we needed the best way to keep the tortillas pliable. The quickest and least messy method—spraying the tortillas with vegetable oil and gently baking them—was best.
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