Chilaquiles Verdes

I've always been apprehensive about posting Mexican recipes on my blog because I know that I've got followers that probably cringe at my Italian/Southern take on Mexican cuisine.😅🇲🇽  It's not that I don't have access to authentic recipes or the right ingredients - we actually have an amazing Mexican grocery store in my little Georgia town and I've taken a cooking lesson in Mexico!  

   

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So why is it that I'm still nervous about sharing my Chilaquiles Verdes recipe?  In a nutshell - I have a tendency to cut corners and do things the Amy-way and not necessarily the traditional Mexican way.😅😬

Traditional Chilaquiles Verdes is made from lightly fried corn tortillas covered in a bright and flavorful salsa verde and topped with Cotija cheese, Mexican crema and cilantro.  Sounds delicious, right?  It really is.  And pretty straight forward: fry the tortillas, make the salsa and add toppings.  

Instead of just trusting the process though, as soon as I read through this recipe my brain started to devise ways of making Chilaquiles Verdes more efficiently.🤣🙃🤷🏻‍♀️  I decided that it would be easier if I fried whole tortillas instead of frying individual triangles or better yet, I could just use a bag of tortilla chips and skip the frying altogether.  Like I said:  cutting corners is where I lose the authenticity. 

It should be no surprise to anyone that my steps to simplify my Chilaquiles Verdes - backfired.🙃  I tried frying whole tortillas and ended up with a crumbly mess when I tried to cut them.  And in case you're curious, if you use bagged tortilla chips for this recipe you end up with soggy nachos.  So after my two failed attempts, I finally decided to ignore my inner voice that was shouting at me to do it "my way" and I followed the recipe as it was written.  (Thank you Cook's Illustrated)  I'm so happy that I did.  I guess the reason that traditional Chilaquiles Verdes is so delicious is because it's been made this exact same way for a very long time. 🤣

Chilaquiles Verdes
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 quart canola oil
1 1/4 pounds tomatillos, husks and stems removed
2 serrano chilies, halved and seeded
2 white onion, sliced thin
3/4 cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled
3 Tablespoons Mexican crema

Cut each tortilla into 6 wedges.  

Heat oil to 350.  Fry tortillas, one third at a time, until crispy. 

Drain on paper towel lined baking sheets. 

Arrange tomatillos and serranos on foil lined baking sheet.  

Broil 6 inches from broiler until spotty and beginning to burst.(10-12 minutes)

Let cool 5 minutes.  Transfer vegetables and juices to blender.  

Add 3/4 c. onion, 1/2 c. cilantro, garlic and salt.  Pulse until mostly smooth. 

Pour salsa into a 12" skillet.  Add water and bouillon.  Simmer 5 minutes.(Until spatula leaves trail that slowly fills in.)

Add chips and salsa to bowl.  Toss until coated.  

Transfer to platter.  Top with queso fresco, crema, 1/4 cup onion and 1/4 cup cilantro. 

​Ciao!

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