Recipe: Chilaquiles de Pollo con Salsa Verde

CHILAQUILES DE POLLO CON SALSA VERDE

6 corn tortilla (6 to 7 inch), halved and cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide Vegetable oil for frying
1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound tomatillos, husked
2 cups canned chicken broth
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
1 Serrano chile, chopped with seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 chicken breast halves, on the bone, with or without skin
1/4 cup crumbled cotija or mild feta cheese

Put the chicken in a medium saucepan with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the chicken until opaque throughout, about 12 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and reserve the chicken broth for later use. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and set aside. Discard the bones and skin.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, pour in oil to a depth of about 1 inch, heat until hot. Fry the tortilla strips, in batches, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Drain all but about 1 Tablespoon of the oil from the skillet. Add the onion, and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cook the tomatillos in boiling water to cover until barely tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the tomatillos and put them in a blender. Add the onion, poblano cilantro, Serrano chile, cumin, oregano, salt and sugar to the blender and reserve.

Put the 1/2 cup of the chicken broth into the blender jar with the tomatillo mixture and puree until nearly smooth, but with some texture. Pour the pureed sauce and remaining chicken broth into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer the sauce for 6 to 8 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CHILAQUILES:
Put the shredded chicken, tortilla strips, and the green salsa verde into an 8-inch square-baking dish. Stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake the recipe casserole about 20 minutes or until completely heated through.

Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings