Chilaquiles For A Crowdfrom Rick Bayless Recipes

CHILAQUILES FOR A CROWD...FROM RICK BAYLESS

Steps:

• In a very large, (6-quart) Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high.
• Add about 2/3 of the onions, and cook, stirring often, until richly browned.
• Add salsa and broth and bring to a boil.
• When sauce is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and stir in the tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Press the chips down so that nearly all of the chips are submerged, some may still stick out.
• Strew the chicken over the top, then cover and let stand 3 to 4 minutes.
• Gently stir everything together, then drizzle with the crema and sprinkle with the onion, optional grated queso anejo and cilantro.
• serve without hesitation.

LAMB CHILI WITH MUSHROOMS (RICK BAYLESS)

Steps:

• Roast the unpeeled garlic on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots, about 15 minutes; cool and peel.
• While the garlic is roasting, stem and seed the chiles.
• Toast the chiles on another side of the griddle or skillet, 1 or 2 at a time, opening them out flat and pressing them down firmly with a spatula.
• In a few seconds, when they crackle, flip them and press down to toast the other side.
• In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water, and let them rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to insure even soaking.
• Drain.
• In a food processor or blender, combine the chiles and a 1/2 cup of water, along with the garlic, oregano, black pepper and cumin.
• Blend to a smooth puree, scraping down and stirring frequently (add more water if the mixture won't move through the blender).
• With a rubber spatula, press the chile mixture through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl.
• Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat.
• When hot, add the lamb and brown thoroughly, about 8 minutes.
• Add the chile puree and stir for about 5 minutes as the mixture thickens.
• Stir in beef broth and simmer until lamb is tender, about 2 hours.
• Add mushrooms, epazote, hot sauce and masa harina.
• Partially cover and simmer gently over medium-low, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are soft and the sauce has reduced to coat the meat rather thickly, about 30 minutes.
• Taste and season with salt.

CHILAQUILES CON CHORIZO

Steps:

• To prepare the sauce, combine tomatillos, chiles, chopped onion, garlic, broth and whipping cream in a medium saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. (In a pinch, I've substituted the whipping cream for equal parts milk and sour cream.) Add cilantro, salt and pepper. Puree in blender. I like mine to have a little bit of texture.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut tortillas into sixths. Add 1/2 inch of oil to skillet over medium heat. Fry tortillas until chewy, but not as crispy as you would for chips. Drain on paper towels.
• Create a layer of tortillas in a shallow baking dish. Top with half the sauce, chorizo, onion and cheese. Add remaining sauce. Bake 20-25 minutes until the dish is gooey. Serve piping hot with crema as garnish.

CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Cut the tortillas into strips.
• Cook chicken with a little water, the quartered onion, a pinch of salt and two cloves of garlic. Cover, cook slowly over a medium heat.
• Remove cooked chicken from the pan and discard onion and garlic; allow to cool enough to handle.
• Sautee the chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil.
• Once the onion is translucent, add tomatoes, cilantro and Tabasco sauce; simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes; salt and pepper to taste.
• Shred the chicken and add to the sauce; lower heat and cook for a few minutes to absorb some of the flavors from the sauce. Do not over cook.
• Deep fry the corn tortillas. When they are crisp, remove and drain on paper towels.
• Assemble the chilaquiles like lasagna. Use a large lasagna pan and layer the following: tortillas, chicken in sauce, thinned sour cream, cheese.
• Repeat layers and finish with cheese and sour cream.
• Bake at 325 degrees F for about 45 minutes.