Eat | New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Enchiladas

New Mexico Hatch Green Chile Enchiladas

Ingredients

  • 1 white onion, large
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 2 pounds tomatillos, in their husks
  • 1 pound hatch chile peppers, grilled or roasted
  • 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, baked or grilled
  • 6 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup Queso Oaxaca, shredded

Garnishes

  • cilantro
  • sour cream
  • avocado slices or guacamole

Instructions

  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then salt and pepper and add some chili powder if you like it spicy.
  2. Cut the onion in half at the equator and then half again as if you were making extra thick onion rings. Leave the tomatillos and garlic in their papery wrappers and the hatch chile peppers whole.
  3. Grill the ingredients
  4. Place the head of garlic off on the edge of the flame and grill while the other ingredients are grilling making sure to turn it regularly.
  5. Grill the hatch chile peppers until they have a nice char on their skin then move off to the side away from the flame.
  6. Grill the onions until they have dark grill marks on each side and move them over to the side with the peppers.
  7. Finally, grill the chicken thighs for 6-8 minutes per side allowing them to develop grill marks. Don't worry too much about the internal temperature of the chicken since it will be cooked again in the enchiladas.
  8. Place the hot roasted hatch chile peppers in a paper or plastic bag or a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let the peppers "sweat" (the steam will help loosen the skin) for 15 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients for the sauce.
  9. Make the tomatillo sauce
  10. Rough chop two-thirds of the onion and add to the pot, stirring occasionally until they turn translucent.
  11. Cut the root end of the garlic head off and gently squeeze the roasted cloves into the pot, turning it down to make sure the garlic doesn't burn.
  12. Remove the papery skins off the tomatillos and remove the stem, then roughly chop them and add them to the pot.
  13. Gently peel off the skin of the hatch chile peppers, remove the stem, and rough chop the add about a third of them to the pot.
  14. Give everything a thorough mix then turn it back up to medium-high. Once it's bubbling, add the chicken broth and use an immersion blender to get the sauce to a smooth texture. You can pour the contents into a regular blender or food processor if that's what you have available.
  15. Finally, turn it down to medium-low to simmer for at least an hour, preferably two, until reduces by 20% or so, intensifying the flavor.
  16. Assemble the enchiladas
  17. Cut the chicken into half-inch cubes and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining hatch chile peppers and onions and mix them with the chicken.
  18. Spread about a third of a cup of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 13-inch casserole or baking dish. Lay out a tortilla and place the chicken mixture in the middle. Roll the enchilada up and place them seam side down in the dish.
  19. You should have room for six well-stuffed enchiladas, and once they are all in cover them with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle shreds of the Oaxaca cheese over the top, adding as much as you want depending on your preference.
  20. Bake
  21. Place the casserole in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese and sauce have started to merge and are bubbling.
  22. Let the enchiladas cool for at least 5 minutes before plating. Top with sliced avocado, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, and/or tomatillo green chile sauce.
eate