Name: Amaya's restaurants Enchiladas Michoacanas Recipe
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts; 0.5 each whole peeled onion; 2 each garlic cloves; 1 each bay leaf; 6 cups water; 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (reserve 1 cup cooking broth); 1 tsp salt (for poaching); 4 each dried guajillo chiles, stems/seeds removed; 1 each dried ancho chiles, stems/seeds removed; 4 each roma (plum) tomatoes; 1 each carrot, peeled and cut in half; 0.5 each white onion, quartered; 3 each garlic cloves; 2 tbs vegetable oil; 0.5 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp dried oregano (Mexican if available); 1 cup chicken broth (reserved from poaching); 1 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 12 each corn tortillas; 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija; 0.5 cup Mexican crema or sour cream; 0.25 cup white onion, finely chopped; 1 each ripe avocado, sliced; 2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped; 0.25 cup vegetable oil (for frying/softening tortillas); 4 each lime wedges; 0 to taste salt (to taste)

Method

Chicken and filling

Place chicken breasts, half onion, 2 garlic cloves, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt and 6 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and poach gently until chicken is cooked through, about 15–18 minutes depending on thickness.

Remove chicken to a cutting board; reserve 1 cup of the cooking broth and discard bay leaf. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Measure about 3 cups shredded chicken. Season shredded chicken lightly with a pinch of salt if needed.

Chile-tomato sauce

Toast the dried chiles for 10–20 seconds per side in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; let soak 15 minutes until pliable. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup soaking liquid.

While chiles soak, roast the roma tomatoes, halved carrot, quartered onion and 3 garlic cloves on a rimmed baking sheet under a broiler or in a 220°C/425°F oven until charred and softened, about 10–12 minutes, turning once. Let cool slightly.

In a blender, combine soaked chiles, roasted tomatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, 1 cup reserved chicken broth, 1/4 cup chile soaking liquid (if available), cumin and oregano. Blend until very smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract flavor. Discard solids.

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the sieved sauce and cook, stirring, until it begins to thicken and deepens in color, about 6–8 minutes. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

If sauce is too thick, add up to 1/4 cup additional reserved chicken broth to reach a pourable consistency that will coat tortillas.

Assembly and toppings

Warm 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. One at a time, lightly fry each corn tortilla for 10–15 seconds per side just until pliable (not crispy). Drain on paper towels. Alternatively, heat tortillas in a dry skillet and steam briefly between a damp towel to soften.

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Pour about 1/2 cup of the chile-tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch (or similarly sized) baking dish and spread into an even layer.

Working assembly-line style: dip a single warmed tortilla into the sauce to coat both sides, place on a plate, add about 1/4 cup shredded chicken in the center, sprinkle a tablespoon of queso fresco, and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas to make about 10–12 enchiladas (depending on tortilla size).

When dish is full, pour remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas, ensuring all tops are coated. Sprinkle remaining queso fresco over the sauce.

Bake in preheated oven until heated through and cheese softens, about 12–15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Top enchiladas with dollops of Mexican crema (or drizzle sour cream), scatter chopped onion, sliced avocado and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side and additional salt to taste.