Jalisco Style Chilaquiles Recipes

CHILAQUILES ROJOS (TRADITIONAL MEXICAN BREAKFAST DISH)

Steps:

• Grill the tomatoes, chiles, garlic and onions until they have a slightly blackened skin. Do not burn!
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil with the blackened veggies until they are cooked through and soft inside.
• Pour the veggies with the hot water and a little added cold water into a food processor and process. Don't blend too much, you want the mixture to be chunky.
• In a large pot, heat up the oil until smoking. Then (carefully!) add a small amount of the sauce mixture and let it burn away for 1 minute (this is for a nice smoky flavor). Then slowly add the rest of the mixture and season with salt and some chicken base.
• Add the tomato puree for color, and mix well. Add the shredded chicken and cook until it is heated through. Add the cilantro. Add the chips and serve immediately on 4 plates. Top each plate with some sour cream, sliced onions, queso fresco and a sprig of cilantro.
• Serve with guacamole, refried black beans and pico de gallo on the side.

SHORTCUT CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Place half the onions in a small bowl and cover with lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, toss and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet (12-inch works well) over medium-high heat. Add remaining onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until they are tender and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and half of chile (if using) and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have started to burst and simmer in their own juices, 5 to 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and continue to simmer until tomatoes are totally softened and melted down, another 5 to 8 minutes; larger bits of the skin are O.K., but they should feel mostly broken down into a nice, thick sauce.
• Add chips and toss to coat evenly. Simmer a minute or two and remove the pan from the heat while you fry the eggs.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggs and season with salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed, until the whites of the egg are fried and lightly crisped but the yolks are still bright orange and runny, about 2 minutes.
• Divide chips among plates and top with fried egg, queso fresco, cilantro, crema, remaining green chile, reserved red onions and a squeeze of lime if you like.

GUADALAJARA STYLE CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Boil tomatoes and chiles until soft.
• Mix them in blender with the garlic and water.
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry this paste, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
• Cut the tortillas in strips with a pair of kitchen scissors.
• Heat 4 tbsp of oil and fry the tortilla strips until crispy.
• Drain oil and add the three eggs to pan. Stir strips and eggs quickly so they don't stick to the pan. Add salt to taste.
• Place on a serving bowl, pour the sauce over them and sprinkle with onion and cheese.
• Serve immediately. Enjoy with a side of refried beans.

CHILAQUILES IN CHIPOTLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour enough oil into large deep skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Attach deep-fry thermometer; heat oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Add 12 tortilla triangles at a time to oil. Fry until golden, turning occasionally, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer chips to paper towels; cool.
• Heat Chipotle Sauce in another large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add epazote; simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt; stir in chips. Immediately divide among 6 plates. Top with cilantro, then crema, queso fresco, and onion.
• *Cultured Mexican cream with a slightly nutty flavor and consistency of thin sour cream.

JALISCO-STYLE CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Combine 3 cups water, tomatoes, and chile peppers in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until softened, about 8 minutes.
• Heat remaining 3 cups water in a separate saucepan.
• Drain tomato-pepper mixture and transfer to a blender. Blend until sauce is smooth, adding about 1/2 cup hot water if needed. Season with salt.
• Cut tortillas into medium chip-sized pieces using kitchen shears.
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Fry tortilla chips in batches until firm and crispy, about 1 minute per batch. Drain on paper towels and let cool.
• Spread about 1 teaspoon of the hot oil in a large pan. Carefully pour in tomato-pepper sauce. Add 2 1/2 cups hot water and bring to a simmer. Stir in tortilla chips and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir gently until chips are bright orange but still somewhat crunchy, about 1 minute.
• Transfer to serving plates and garnish with onion and queso fresco.

CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• In a skillet heat 1/2 inch of the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking, in it fry the tortillas in batches for 10 to 20 seconds, or until they are pale golden and almost crisp, and transfer them as they are fried with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain. In a bowl stir together the tomato sauce, the broth, and the chilies. In a greased 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish layer the tortillas, the Monterey Jack, and the tomato sauce, beginning with a layer of the tortillas and ending with a layer of the Monterey Jack, and bake the chilaquiles, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 20 minutes. Thin the sour cream with 1 tablespoon water and drizzle the mixture decoratively over the chilaquiles.