Authentic Enchiladas Verdes

UPDATE: I figured out the mystery behind our screaming hot enchiladas! Serranos are not as spicy as I had thought. In fact, the problem is I didn't use serranos at all. Due to mislabeling at the supermarket I accidentally picked up habaneros! No wonder, huh. Two habaneros, seeds and all, is not a good idea. (They are bright orange (a sign right), and serranos are green.) This means if you buy the correct peppers you can safely use two or more (the original recipe calls for 5, but I can't recommend going that far)!

According to PattiVerde at Allrecipes.com these enchiladas are authentic Mexican cuisine! They are not your typical American version- chicken bits swimming in can of this soup and tub of that cream. They are so much better (and lighter)! My only deviation was to use whole wheat flour tortillas (in Mexico enchiladas are made with corn tortillas). Finding some of the ingredients was a bit tricky: make sure to buy large tomatillos (smaller ones are more bitter), serranos are very spicy (one or less will be enough, especially if you are feeding children), queso fresco has other names, bone-in chicken is important for flavor, and using fresh cilantro is a must. I was able to find all these ingredients at Whole Foods (and they even threw in the peppers for free- this happens there on occasion!) A note on the peppers: we used two full Serrano's and it was almost too hot to handle. You can always start with less and adjust according to taste. Dustin and I loved these enchiladas! They will become "regulars" in our home.

INGREDIENTS
2 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 white onion
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 lb. fresh tomatillos, husks removed
1 serrano pepper (or more, if you like it super spicy)
1/4 white onion
1 clove garlic
1 pinch salt
12 corn tortillas (I used 10 whole wheat flour tortillas.)
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, combine chicken breast with chicken broth, one quarter onion, a clove of garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Boil for 20 minutes. Reserve broth, set chicken aside to cool, and discard onion and garlic. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with your hands.

2. Place tomatillos and serrano chiles in a pot with enough water to cover them. Boil until tomatillos turn a different shade of green (from bright green to a dull, army green). Strain tomatillos and chilis, and place in a blender with another quarter piece of onion, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch of salt. Pour in reserved chicken broth, so that liquid just covers the veggies in the blender by about an inch. Blend all ingredients until they are completely pureed. Pour salsa in a medium saucepan, and bring to a low boil.

3. IF YOU WANT TO FRY YOUR TORTILLAS: Pour oil in a frying pan, and allow to get very hot. Slightly fry tortillas one by one in hot oil, setting each on a paper towel afterwards to soak up some of the oil. Finally, dip slightly fried tortillas in low-boiling green salsa, until tortillas become soft again.

4. Fill or top tortillas (if you are NOT frying them, just heat them in the microwave until soft) with shredded chicken, then extra green sauce. Top with crumbled cheese and chopped onion. Bake in 400 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)