SWEET POTATO ENCHILADAS

Filed under: Recipes

Makes: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Chicken
6 skinless boneless free-range chicken breasts, about 1½ lbs
4 cups water
2 tsp salt
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs epazote or Mexican oregano


Sweet Potato Tortillas
2 cups Maseca flour, plus a little extra for kneading as required
1 tsp salt
2 cups roasted peeled sweet potatoes, mashed
2 tbsp water (if needed) to make the dough come together


Salsa
4 medium tomatillos, cored and diced
2 medium tomatoes, cored and diced
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 oz olive oil
2 oz Guajillo Chile
1 oz Chile pasilla
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 quart of chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheddar

METHOD

  1. Poach the chicken. Place chicken, water, salt, bay leaves and epazote in a medium pot on medium heat. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid reduce to a simmer.
  2. Cook until tender and cooked through (10-12 minutes). Make sure you check that the chicken is cooked all the way through before removing it from the liquid and setting aside.
  3. Once it is cool to touch, use a fork to shred the chicken.
  4. Make the tortillas. Mix flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.
  5. Add mashed sweet potatoes and mix in with your hands.
  6. Knead until the dough comes together, adding a little water if needed to make a slightly sticky dough (you may not need any water depending on the wetness of the sweet potato).
  7. Knead dough for a few minutes until smooth. If needed, dust bench and dough with a little flour, however the dough should be just slightly tacky to the touch. Prepared dough can be stored in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge for up to 24 hours before rolling out.
  8. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and form each piece into a ball.
  9. Preheat a large clean skillet over medium-high heat.
  10. Press out each tortilla in a tortilla press lined with plastic wrap or roll between baking parchment into a thin, round tortilla (about 5 inches diameter).
  11. Place into the hot skillet and cook for a minute. Flip, and continue cooking until golden on the other side and starting to puff.
  12. Place the cooked tortilla on a plate covered with a tea towel to keep warm and continue cooking the remaining dough, stacking the cooked tortillas to keep them soft.
  13. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  14. Make the salsa. Remove stems and seeds from chiles and place in a pot with chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and leave for 15 minutes or until chiles have softened and rehydrated.
  15. Place tomatoes, tomatillos and garlic on a shallow roasting tray, drizzle with half the olive oil, spread out to a single layer and roast until vegetables are starting to caramelize, 15-20 minutes.
  16. Place rehydrated chiles and broth in a blender with roasted vegetables and whizz until smooth.
  17. Add remaining oil to a pot and heat on medium-high heat. Add spices and toast until aromatic (1 minute).
  18. Add tomato puree mixture. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until salsa is slightly thickened, stirring frequently in the last 5-10 minutes so it doesn’t catch. To tell if the salsa is ready, take a spoon, dip it in the sauce and turn it over with the back of the spoon facing you. Run a finger through the salsa on the spoon. If you end up with a clean line down the middle, your salsa is ready.
  19. Season to taste.
  20. To assemble, spoon 1 cup of salsa in the base of a 12” x 9” shallow casserole or baking dish.
  21. Place a small mound of chicken and some grated cheese down the middle of each cooked tortilla.
  22. Roll each one up and arrange seam side side down in a single layer in the sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce evenly over the top.
  23. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20 minutes.
  24. To serve, top with avocado aioli and fresh cilantro/parsley.