This month's #FoodieExtravanza, hosted by Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla, was super exciting for me in a couple of ways. First, the challenge dish is ENCHILADAS which guarantees I'm going to love every single variation in the link up (below). But, secondly - Camilla set several of us up to receive some complimentary Don Enrique brand dried chiles from Melissa's Produce, an online fresh produce store that ships a good part of their stock US wide.
It was wonderful to have the opportunity to experiment - the sent assortment included several types of chiles, including some scary hot Carolina Reapers, but for my enchilada dish I decided to stick to flavorful and smoky rather than crazy hot, while using a few varieties to give the sauce some depth.
Armed with a pair of gloves to protect my skin and face while handling the chiles, this is what I came up with for my enchilada sauce. Should you want a hotter sauce, simply switch out some of the chiles for hotter varieties:
Smoky Enchilada Sauce
(makes approx. 4 cups - you can halve the recipe as desired)
8 dried ancho chiles (dried poblanos, mild, smoky)
2 dried pasilla negro chiles (mild, earthy, fruity)
1-2 dried oaxaca chiles (mild, smoky)
1 T. oregano, dried
1 T. cilantro, dried
2 T. ground cumin,
2 squares dark chocolate, minced (I used Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate w/Espresso)
hot water
To prepare the chiles:
Cut off stems, slit open chile and remove seeds. (I found kitchen shears to be the easiest way of doing this, scooping out the dried seeds with a gloved finger)
Heat oven to 400F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper, lay out the dried chiles in a single layer, and toast for 3 minutes, until fragrant but not burned. (It won't take longer than that!)
In a large bowl, put the toasted chiles and cover with hot water, weighting them down with a plate to keep submerged. Set aside for about an hour until they are softened.
Into a blender or food process, combine the chiles, 2 cups of the water used to soak the chiles and 2 cups fresh hot water, along with the remaining ingredients. Puree until very smooth (it may take a couple tries to completely puree the chile skins).
Before using, make sure you all the sauce to simmer for awhile - it will finish off the flavors.
Store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for later use.
That was the hard part! Making these stacked enchiladas is easy - MUCH easier than making a rolled up casserole. It does take several pans, though, and a short order cook style of quick preparation, but you'll have dinner on the table in a flash, especially if you can enlist the help of others present to help with the steps.
The word 'enchilada' describes the key factor that makes for an enchilada (or enchilada sauce) - it means 'covered in chiles' and, according to Rick Bayless, a person might be called 'enchilada' (or 'enchilado') to explain that state where you've eaten something full of chiles and are desperately seeking something cooling to sooth the burning!
An enchilada is a tortilla covered in chile sauce - after that, everything else is optional.
The very easiest version I've made is meatless - just corn tortillas, diced raw onion, and sauce. With that platform, add whatever suits you - seasoned meat, beans, cheese, vegetables, olives, sour cream.... The possibilities are endless!
One traditional version tops the works with a fried egg, one of my favorite ways to enjoy these.
Stacked Enchiladas with Fried Egg
per serving:
3-4 corn tortillas
cooked crumbled Mexican chorizo
enchilada sauce, simmered
oil, heated in pan as for deep frying (I used coconut oil)
diced onion
sliced black olives
1 egg, sunny side up
Using tongs, cook a tortilla in the hot oil for a minute or so (it should still be pliable), then dip in the simmering enchilada sauce to cover. Place on a plate, add a thin layer toppings as desired.
Repeat this process, using 3-4 tortillas and layering toppings, ending with a layer of toppings, and then a fried egg. The runny yolk will break over the rest of the toppings, creating a rich and very satisfying finish for this simple dish.
This is comfort food that is sure to make you smile! Check out how others are making their enchiladas:
