Chilaquiles

I made these chilaquiles for the family in Utah when we visited over Christmas. The recipe originally comes from Rick Bayless (here). He calls for jars of fire-roasted tomatillo salsa, but I prefer to make the salsa myself. I also use fewer onions than he suggests.

These are very easy to make (especially if you just buy the salsa).

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup sliced white onion
• 2-3 lbs tomatillos
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 24 ounces tortilla chips
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican melting cheese (such as Chihuahua) or Monterey Jack
• 1 lb coarsely shredded cooked chicken
• 3/4 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with a little milk)
• A handful of cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Peel the tomatillos and wash them. Place the garlic and tomatillos on a cookie sheet and fire-roast them under a broiler until the tomatillo skins blacken. Puree the tomatillos and garlic in a blender. Warm a little oil in a frying pan and, when hot, add the puree. Reduce the sauce over medium-low heat for about 5-minutes. Add salt to taste.

In a very large (6-quart) Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until richly browned.

Add the salsa and broth and bring to a boil. When the sauce is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and stir in the chips and shredded cheese. Press the chips down to ensure that nearly all are submerged; a few on the top may still be sticking out.

Strew the chicken over the top, cover and let stand for 3 or 4 minutes. Gently stir everything together, then drizzle with the crema, and sprinkle with cilantro.