Carrie Fountain’s “New Mexican Heart” Red Chile Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 9 ounces dried New Mexico red chile pods
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup(s) flour
- 4 cups water
- 12 corn tortillas
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 onion(s), finely chopped
- Sour cream, for serving
- Fried eggs, for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chile pods. In a stockpot, cover the pods with water and simmer for a half hour to soften or just soak in warm water for a few hours. Once soft, drain and place the pods along with the garlic in a blender and puree—adding small amounts of fresh water if necessary—until a thick paste is formed.
- Pass the paste through a food mill using the smallest grid to separate out the fibrous, bitter skins. This method should yield about 1 cup of bright red, very smooth chile paste.
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat, slowly add the flour and whisk to make a roux. Add the chile paste to the roux and mix, then slowly add fresh water to create a sauce (for a thick sauce, add about 3 cups of water; for a thinner sauce, add about 4). Let the sauce cook down about 20 minutes.
- Soften the tortillas either by steaming them or cooking each briefly in oil. (Don’t fry too long or you’ll have crunchy tortillas.) Serve individual plates of 3 enchiladas by layering each tortilla with sauce, cheese and onions and stacking (as is traditional in New Mexico). Serve with a generous amount of cheese on top.
Notes
I highly recommend wearing food-prep gloves while handling chile pods, no matter how mild—especially if you wear contact lenses or have sensitive skin.
As an alternative (especially when serving a number of guests), Fountain makes a casserole out of the dish by coating the bottom of a lasagna pan with sauce, then lining the pan with sauce-dipped tortillas. She follows with cheese, onions, more sauce and tops with cheese. To make this a very New Mexican meal, she says, add a fried egg to the top of each serving and serve with sour cream, refried beans and Spanish rice.
Photography by Melanie Grizzel