Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of fried tortilla chips, bathed in green or red salsa or mole. and broiled or grilled with a cheese topping. Sometimes chicken strips are mixed into the sauce, or the dish can be served with a fried egg on top or a strip of meat alongside.

They are most commonly consumed at breakfast time.

Unlike nachos which are served as a crispy snack, chilaquiles are a main dish and are not served until the tortilla chips are thoroughly soaked and softened by the salsa.

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This is a recipe made up by a Canadian after touring the Yucatan, which reproduces (to his mouth) the dish almost perfectly. A lot of it is up to your own tastes, particularly how much tortilla vs. chicken to use, how much cheese, and what types & how many chilis. It's best to think of it as a sort of Mexican lasagna rather than a nacho dish (as alluded to above), since that's really a better description. More varieties of chilis and hot sauces are better, in my opinion; it is a pepper dish. The dish is ugly if you serve it up onto plates (messy); it's best to bring it to the table in the baking dish fresh from the oven and let guests serve it themselves, if it's for a dinner party.

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Recipe:

• 1 red or white onion (medium / large)
• 2 x 14oz cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
• Assorted hot peppers (e.g. 1 jalapeno, 2 red thai chilis, 1 habanero, 1 anaheim, a couple of spoonfuls of crushed & dried red chilis, whatever you have available)
• Assorted hot sauces (e.g. jalapeno sauce, cayenne sauce, habanero sauce, tabasco, no strong flavours other than chili pepper flavours though!)
• 4 to 6 pieces of chicken (drumsticks or thighs, or 2 to 3 breasts)
• 1/2 tbsp Chili powder (or less! minimal amount! this shouldn't taste tex-mex)
• 1 lime
• 1 to 2 tsp salt
• Bag of corn chips (yellow or white, round or otherwise fairly "flat")
• 1 cup (250 ml) half and half cream (or whipping cream)
• Small block of mild white cheese (monterey jack or farmers cheese), sliced thin. Should be approximately 1 to 1 1/4 cups of cheese, depending on your preference.

Preheat oven to 375 F. <p>

1. Slice raw chicken and cook with minimal oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan until completely cooked. Alternatively, bake chicken until cooked, then remove & chop cooked meat. No spices, maybe a slight bit of salt.
2. Slice cheese into thin square or rectangular slices. Alternatively you can grate it.
   
   Set cheese and cooked chicken aside until later.
   
   
3. Chop onion in half. Chop one half (large pieces), slice the other half into rings.
4. Slice fresh chilis (remove seeds if desired), crush dried chilis
5. Put tomatoes in large saucepan or pot; add about a can and a half of water (less if thicker sauce desired; should be like gravy, not too watery, not too pasty). Add more water later if sauce becomes too thick.
6. Add diced onions and peppers to tomato sauce. Heat on medium-low until simmering. Add hot sauces to taste. This dish tastes best with a mix of chilis flavouring the sauce (I use up to 15 chilis of 6 or more varieties, when available), but if this is not possible a minimal dish can be made with a single jalapeno, some crushed red chilis, and a couple of tablespoons of tabasco or habanero sauce. Salt and add small amount of chili powder to taste. Should be spicy and not too salty, and not overpowered by chili powder/cumin tastes.
7. Squeeze half lime into pot. Taste; add more lime if desired.
8. Allow sauce to simmer until onions are tender and chili flavours have infused the sauce.
   
   The sauce should be slightly sweet, very spicy, and with a very noticeable lime flavour. It should not taste like tex-mex chili; use only a TINY AMOUNT of chili powder (or cumin).
   
   
9. Line the bottom of a shallow rectangular baking dish (e.g. a lasagna dish) with a single layer of tortilla chips (unbroken). Think of them as the noodles.
10. Sprinkle all of the fully cooked strips or diced pieces of chicken over tortillas.
11. Pour the sauce over the chicken & tortillas, covering them completely.
12. Add another layer of tortilla chips, enough to completely cover the chicken & sauce.
13. Place rings of onion on tortilla chips and cover the whole thing with cheese (you can still see onion, tortillas, and maybe even a bit of sauce; this isn't a thick layer of cheese like on a pizza, but should be enough to melt and make a cheesy top)
14. Slowly pour 1 cup of cream over the entire dish.

<p> Place in oven until "done" to your satisfaction. The cream & sauce should be boiling a bit, the cheese should be melted and bubbling slightly, turning slightly brown, and the onion should be cooked. <p> Remove and serve with a side of tortilla chips (and a light Mexican beer).sv:Chilaquiles