Cafe Tacuba chicken enchiladas?
I just saw a DVR'd version of "Moveable Feast" from our PBS station's fund-raising cache, and Rick Bayless prepared the most beautifully green chicken enchiladas from a recipe he said originated with Cafe Tacuba in Mexico City. Does anyone have that recipe, or know a cookbook where I could find it? It included chiles and spinach (!) in the sauce, and looked easy and wonderful.
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5 Comments:
I've always known Cafe Tacuba to be this really awesome band from Mexico, I had no idea it was a restaurant in Mexico City as well. Anyhow, I asked my dad for you and he's never heard of enchiladas in green sauce that included spinach. Did it have tomatillos in it? Maybe it was a basic Mexican green sauce with the addition of spinach? I'll keep searching the web for you, but I haven't found anything yet.
At first I didn't know what to make of Rick Bayless. I was like, "Who is this white guy trying to make authentic Mexican food?" Then I gave in and realized his recipes are awesome. Plus, he passes the ultimate test: my Mexican food snob dad thinks he's great. It's the only food show he'll sit down on watch.
PumpkinBear at 4:27AM on 03/12/09
found it through google.
sounds pretty good.
http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=167
Café Tacuba-Style Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Enchiladas Cremosas de Pollo, Estilo Café Tacuba
Serves 4 to 6
This recipe was featured on the new PBS special "Moveable Feast with America's Favorite Chefs".
Ingredients
2 fresh poblano chiles
1 cup (lightly packed) roughly chopped spinach leaves
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter—or you can use vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup flour
Salt
3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (I usually use a rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken)
12 corn tortillas
A little vegetable oil for brushing or spraying
About 1 cup Mexican melting cheese (Chihuahua, quesadilla, asadero or the like) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar
A little chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions
1. Make the sauce. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, turning regularly, until the skins have blistered and blackened on all side, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes under the broiler. Cover with a kitchen towel and, when handleable, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the seed pod and stem. Quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and put in a blender jar. Add the spinach.
In a medium (3-quart) saucepan, combine the milk and broth, set over medium-low heat to warm.
In a large (4-quart) saucepan, melt the butter (or heat the oil) over medium. Add the garlic and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add the flour and stir the mixture for a minute. Raise the heat to medium-high. Pour in the warm broth mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Pour half the hot sauce into the blender with the chiles and spinach. Cover loosely (I remove the center part of the lid, secure the lid, then drape a cloth over the whole thing) and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining sauce. Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons.
2. Finishing the enchiladas. Heat the oven to 350˚. Smear about ¼ cup of the sauce over the bottom of each of four to six 9-inch individual ovenproof baking/serving dishes or smear about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the chicken.
Lay half of the tortillas out on a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil; top each tortilla with another one and brush or spray those with oil. Bake just to warm through and soften, about 3 minutes. Stack the tortillas and cover with a towel to keep warm.
Working quickly so that the tortillas stay hot and pliable, roll a portion of the chicken up in each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish(es). Douse evenly with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are hot through (the cheese will have begun to brown), about 20 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and serve without hesitation.
intheyearofthepig at 10:15AM on 03/12/09
I make green sauce enchiladas using the Leo Maya Mario chicken verde sauce chicken.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/09/unclogged-mario-batali-recipe-chicken-with-green-sauce.html
They are so good. Shred that chicken up and put it in the tortillas with a tsp of sour cream and cover with cheese du jour and give it a 10 min bake at 450 degrees. So good.
JerzeeTomato at 1:41PM on 03/12/09
Thanks for the links, especially @intheyearofthepig's copy of the Bayless recipe. I did search for it, but managed not to turn it up. Enchiladas this weekend!!
pourgirl at 11:00PM on 03/13/09
Indeed, thanx for the recipe. However, Rick Bayless also uses the sauce to smother the chicken before rolling the enchiladas.
Oh! pumpkingbear: Cafe Tacuba, the band was named after the restaurant who has been an Icon in Mexico city (D.F.) for many, many years. Also Tacuba in a "Colonia" and area in Mex D.F. where the Café is :0)
I just made the enchiladas, but added more poblanos for a bolder pepper taste
mutantmeat at 2:08PM on 03/23/09