← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp Salt
• 500 g Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 Poblano chillies, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeño or serrano chilli
• ½ white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro)
• 250 ml chicken stock (or the poaching broth)
• 150 ml double cream or Mexican crema
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 200 g Oaxaca, Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese, grated
• ¼ white onion, thinly sliced, to serve

Method

1. Cover the chicken with water in a pan, add the salt, bring to a gentle simmer and poach for 15–20 min, until cooked through (75°C / 165°F). Cool slightly, then shred. Keep some broth.
2. Simmer the tomatillos, poblano and green chilli in water for 8–10 min, until the tomatillos are olive green and soft. Drain and blend with the chopped onion, garlic, coriander and stock until smooth.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, pour in the sauce and simmer for 5 min. Take off the heat, stir in the cream and season with salt. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
4. Warm the tortillas a few at a time (in a dry pan or wrapped in a damp tea towel in the microwave) so they bend without cracking.
5. Spread a little sauce in a baking dish. Dip each tortilla in the sauce, fill with chicken, roll up and lay seam-side down. Pour the rest of the sauce over and cover with the cheese.
6. Bake for 15 min, until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted with golden spots. Scatter with sliced onion and serve straight away.

Tips

• Leftover roast chicken saves the poaching step; use shop-bought chicken stock in the sauce.
• The name means “Swiss-style”, after the dairy-rich sauce created at a Mexico City café.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Rick Bayless Mexican Please