The salsa for these Enchiladas Rojas is made with dried guajillo and pasilla pepper. These enchiladas are fried with the salsa, so the tortilla soaks up all the flavors creating rich and bold flavors. I serve this enchiladas with fresh white onion and feta cheese!. Although feta cheese is not Mexican, it really goes wonderfully with these flavors. My mouth is watering just thinking about the salsa- onion- and feta combination.
You can find the recipe at the bottom, but here are some picture of the process to help you out when making them..
Removing the seeds and stems…
charr some onions and garlic…
Toasting chiles… this is a very fast process. Have your boiling water next to the comal. Be ready to transfer the chiles as they blister.
Hydrate the chiles
Now straining the salsa right over a saucepan with oil on it…
Add salt, oregano, black pepper and orange juice…
Dipping the tortilla…
Now my favorite step…you could do it on a plate and then fry them or like me directly on a skillet with oil… I don’t like to get extra dishes dirty.
Repeat with all the tortillas! and serve. Raw onions are NOT optional. There’s magic when you bite a raw onion and these soaked tortillas.
These enchiladas remind me the “fondas”( grandma’s homes converted in little restaurants) in Mexico. That is why I used my “fonda” tablecloth for this picture!
Tips
- Toasting dried chiles really enhance their flavor. So don’t skip this step!
- When toasting the chiles, we are just blistering the skin. This process is very fast, it just takes seconds. You have to stay there and don’t leave them alone or they will burn and make your salsa very bitter.
- Simmering the salsa after adding the salt and spices is important. It cooks the ingredients a little bit more and brings all the flavors together.
Recipe
Ingredients
Servings 4 yield: 12 enchiladas
6 chiles guajillos
4 chiles pasilla
½ roasted onion
1 roasted garlic clove
pinch of oregano
1 cup of chicken broth
1 Tblsp orange juice
1 tsp salt
black pepper
Cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken
Procedure
- Start by taking the seeds and stems out of the chiles. You could cut the stems with scissors and then open them up and clean them up, reserve.
- Heat a comal or a cast iron skillet and place the garlic with the peel on and the onions. While they are charring, bring water to a boil. This hot water will be used to hydrate your chiles after toasting them in the comal. Once your onions and garlic are charred and cooked, remove them from the comal and place them in your blender to process later.
- Prepare to toast your chiles in the comal. Get your hot water next to your hot comal. Place your chiles in the heat. Turn them over with tongs as soon as you see blisters on the chiles. Take the chiles out and place them in the hot water to hydrate. Let the chiles hydrate until soft.
- Once your chiles are hydrated, take them out of the water with tongs and place them in the blender along with the onion and the garlic. Add ¼ cup of the liquid from the chiles so it’s easier to blend. Process until smooth.
- Now, you will be frying the salsa you just made and adding some seasonings to it. On a medium sized saucepan, add some oil and place a fine mesh strainer over the saucepan. Pour the salsa from the blender into the strainer and move it around with a spoon so that the salsa gets strained. Add 1 cup of chicken broth over the strainer to wash all the creamy chile paste out of the fine mesh. Discard the larger bits of chiles that remained in the strainer.
- Add oregano, the orange juice, salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. The salsa should be thick, not watery.
- To assemble your enchiladas, simply heat up your tortillas in the microwave or comal to make them pliable and prevent them from breaking, then grab one tortilla with your thumb and index finger and dip it into the salsa. Place the drenched tortilla in a plate or another flat working surface and stuff the enchilada with chicken. Add a little bit of the salsa inside to make it moist. Repeat this process for all your enchiladas.
- Once you have stuffed all your enchiladas, heat up a skillet, pour some oil and place the enchiladas carefully on it. Frying these enchiladas with this sauce really takes them to the next level. The salsa will stick to the tortilla and will make it very delicious.
Serve with fresh onions and feta cheese. Yes, Feta cheese, or queso fresco!
