Recipe: Enchiladas del Portal
While the term ‘enchiladas’ covers a wide range of flavour combinations with infinite permutations of stuffings and toppings, this version uses Guajillo chillies for a beautifully smoky flavour and sweet heat, which combines perfectly with cinnamon and cumin – the ultimate Mexican comfort food.
In Mexico's Guanajuato region, when someone simply says ‘enchiladas’, they usually mean enchiladas mineras or miner’s enchiladas. The name nods to the silver-mining history of the region, which makes sense when you think of what kind of filling meal you might want to sustain you through long shifts of manual labour. These days, they are enjoyed by everyone, no matter their profession, and ‘enchiladas mineras’ now points to a very specific preparation: fresh tortillas dipped in a guajillo sauce and lightly fried, then filled, rolled and generously topped with carrots, potatoes, lettuce, cheese and crema.
The salsa is at its absolute best when it is allowed to rest for a day, so all the notes can marry. If you can, make the sauce one day in advance of when you’d like to enjoy these authentic Mexican enchiladas. The dish is hearty, celebratory and deeply rooted in local tradition; the best part is the small plate of gigantic pickled jalapeños served on the side.
Ingredients Serves: 6
- ½ stick of cinnamon
- ½ tbsp of oregano
- ½ tbsp of cumin
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- ¼ white onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 10 dried guajillo chillies
- 300ml vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- 1L of cold water
- 4 chicken legs
- 1 small bunch of coriander
- 1 small bunch of mint
- 1 white onion
- 2 white potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 4 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 350g ranchero cheese, crumbled
- 16 fresh corn tortillas
- 1 small romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- A jar of pickled jalapeño peppers
- 200ml sour cream
Instructions
Step 1 / 11
If possible, make the sauce one day in advance. Soak the guajillo chillies in hot water for 20–30 minutes to rehydrate before use, removing them when they become pliable.
Step 2 / 11
In a dry pan, toast the cinnamon, oregano and cumin until fragrant. Remove and leave to cool.
Step 3 / 11
In the same dry pan add the tomatoes, onion and 2 cloves of garlic and cook until charred on the outside. Once cooled, add them to a blender with the toasted spices, guajillo chillies, vegetable stock and seasoning to taste. Blend well, strain and let cool.
Step 4 / 11
For the chicken, place the liter of water, chicken legs, coriander, mint, half the onion, remaining clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt in a pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for 45 minutes at a medium heat and leave to cool. Once cool, remove the chicken legs and shred the meat off the bone with a fork.
Step 5 / 11
In a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the potatoes and carrots until lightly browned in the hot oil and set aside.
Step 6 / 11
Finely chop the remaining half of the white onion. In a small bowl, mix the cheese and the onion and set aside.
Step 7 / 11
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and once hot, dip a tortilla into the guajillo sauce and fry for just a few seconds on each side.
Step 8 / 11
Once fried, add the cheese and onion mixture and roll it up like a cigar. Repeat the process until you have filled all of the tortillas.
Step 9 / 11
Once the tortillas are all filled, add the chicken into the same pan to sauté in the oil until golden.
Step 10 / 11
Top the enchiladas with lettuce, potatoes, carrots, cheese, sour cream and the chicken.
Step 11 / 11
Serve the dish with pickled jalapeños and sour cream.
This recipe is taken from ‘El Bajío: Recipes & Wanderings Through Mexico’s Heartland,’ the fourth cookbook in the collaborative series between Belmond and Apartamento. Read more about the publication or purchase a copy on the Apartamento website.
A CULINARY ESCAPE TO MEXICO
A collection of historic casas in the heart of San Miguel de Allende, Casa de Sierra Nevada invites you to discover vibrant Mexican culture as you connect with local nature, art and gastronomy.
Within our hotel, master the art of the Mexican kitchen at Sazón cooking school, from the best enchiladas recipe to authentic sauces and salsas. Follow our experts into the kitchen of our magnificent 18th-century mansion and learn the secret to creating bold and authentic regional flavors with authentic Mexican recipes.
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