Saturday Brunch: Chilaquiles Verdes

Text: Julie Schwietert Collazo
Photos: As indicated
**

After spending the morning finishing up a 1,500 word essay on living in Mexico City, I was hungry and only one dish would satisfy me: chilaquiles.

The Masa AssAssin

Among the joys of Mexican food–and there are so many: the full color spectrum on your plate; the unexpected depth of flavor resulting from the combination of chocolate and cinnamon and smoky hot peppers; a repertoire of recipes so vast that one could even a different meal every day for a year and not even begin to get beyond the first volume of la cocina Mexicana–is this one: you can cook exceptionally elaborate recipes or exceedingly simple ones. And chilaquiles are both simultaneously.

Horrified that the Epicurious version called for packaged tortilla chips (DO NOT USE THEM!), I did a Spanish language search for a more “authentic” recipe. Still dissatisfied, I devised my own receta, built largely around the ingredients we happened to have on hand.

And this is still another joy of Mexican cooking: like dancing, once you’ve learned the basic steps, you take what you know and improvise.

This recipe makes enough chilaquiles verdes for two hungry people or three less ravenous folks.

INGREDIENTS:
-3 flour tortillas
-3 tomatillos (the hard little green “tomatoes” encased in a delicate papery skin)
-2-3 cloves of garlic
-1/2-1 jalapeno, seeds removed
-a generous fistful of cilantro
-1 cup of water
-1/2 cup-1 cup of corn oil
-sour cream
-thinly sliced ribbons of onion, raw

EQUIPMENT:
-Food processor or blender
-Wok
-Tongs
-Paper towels

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the tomatillos into quarters, peel the garlic, and remove the seeds from the jalapeno. Rinse the cilantro. Put all these ingredients in the food processor or blender and pulse until they are the consistency of a smooth (as opposed to chunky) salsa.

2. Cut the tortillas into triangular shaped wedges. Line a plate with two paper towels and set aside.

3. Pour enough oil in the bottom of the wok to cover the tortillas. Heat the oil on medium high. When hot, place the cut tortillas in the oil. They should be in a single layer. Cook until golden– they will cook quickly, so stay alert. Flip them so they turn golden on the other side; then remove to the plate with the paper towels.

4. Drain the oil, then place the tomatillo mixture in the wok over medium heat. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. I added some pulled chicken Francisco had left over from making croquettes. You could add ground beef, chicken, or turkey, too. Add the cup of water and let the mixture come to a low boil; let simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the mix has reduced but has not become entirely dry.

5. Add the tortillas to the mix in the wok, stirring them around with the tongs. Do not let them get soggy–three to five minutes should do it.

6. Plate the chilaquiles. Add a dollop of sour cream and garnish with the onion.

Serve, if you’d like, with a scrambled or sunny side up egg on the side. Refried beans are also a popular side, and avocado slices are a lovely complement.

*A couple of notes:

Chilaquiles come in at least two iterations: verdes (green) and rojos (red). Verdes, as explained here, are made with the tomatillo salsa. Rojos are made with red tomatoes, as pictured in the photo at the top.

Also, the consistency of chilaquiles varies considerably. Some people like theirs soupy; others prefer them dry.

Finally, Mexicans making chilaquiles tend to use clay pots to make chilaquiles. A wok is a decent substitute, especially for quick chilaquiles like these.