Chicken Enchiladas With Pasilla Chili Sauce

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Title: CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH PASILLA CHILI SAUCE
Categories: Main dish, Mexican, Fruits/nuts, Cheese
Yield: 16 servings

2 tb Peanut oil
1 2-oz. package dried pasilla
Chilies, stemmed, seeded,
Torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c Whole blanched almonds,
Chopped
4 Chicken breast halves
6 c Chicken stock or canned
Low-salt broth
1/2 ts Cumin seeds
4 Plum tomatoes, cored,
Quartered
1/2 Onion, quartered
4 Cloves garlic, peeled
2 tb Firmly packed golden brown
Sugar
1 ts Coarse salt
Peanut oil (for deep frying)
16 Corn tortillas
2 1/2 c Grated Montery Jack Cheese
1 c Creme fraiche or sour cream
1 Avocado, peeled, seeded,
Sliced
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over high heat. Add chilies and
almonds. Saute until chilies darken and almonds are golden, about 2
minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chilies and almonds to bowl. Reduce
heat to medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to same pot and
brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add stock; simmer until chicken is
cooked through, aobut 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to another bowl using
slotted spoon; cool. Reserve stock in pot.

Toast cumin seeds in heavy small skillet over medium-low heat until
aromatic, about 1 minute. Mince cumin seeds. Add cumin, chili mixture,
tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic, sugar and salt to stock. Simmer until
all ingredients are very soft, about 45 minutes.

Working in batches, puree stock mixture in blender. Return to pot. Boil
until reduced to 4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill chicken and sauce
separately.)

Remove skin from chicken and discard. Cut meat from bones and shred.
Transfer to bowl and combine with 1/2 cup sauce. Set filling aside.

Oil two 13X9-inch glass baking dishes. Pour oil into deep skillet to depth
of 1/2 inch and heat to 375-degree F. Fry tortillas 1 at a time until
softened, about 5 seconds per side. Using metal sapatula, transfer to
paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over each tortilla. Sprinkle each
with 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon chooped onion. Place 1/3 cup
chicken down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in
baking dishes. (Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover.)

Preheat oven to 350-degree F. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until heated through, about 20
minutes. Top with creme fraiche, avodado and clinatro.

SOURCE: BON APPETIT, April '93

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