Most Americans think they know Mexican food. They think they know what “authentic” Mexican food tastes like, smells like and looks like. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that they are way off the mark. Luckily, Lesley Tèllez is here to showcase real, authentic Mexican food with her book, “Eat Mexico: Recipes from Mexico City’s Streets, Markets, & Fondas.” It’s a window into a world rarely seen or experienced by foreigners; the diverse world of Mexican street food. The book recalls what Lesley ate and experienced in the four years she lived in Mexico City. She shares authentic dishes that totally surpass any perception that most Americans have of Mexican food.
Here’s a recipe from the book that caught our eye. Enchiladas done in the same style of their street-born cousins in Mexico City.
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Enchiladas Verdes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Typical Mexican enchiladas arrive rolled up and stuffed, but at my favorite enchilada street stand—the inspiration for this recipe—they’re stacked in a messy, luxurious pile, with separate individual layers ofcorn tortillas, fresh cilantro and onion, green enchilada sauce, shredded cheese and chicken. The whole thing is topped with a blanket of crema and more cheese. It’s almost like a deconstructed lasagna. The dish is enough to make you fall deeply in love with Mexico City—particularly when the corn tortillas are homemade, and the green sauce is prepared with a slow-simmering pot of fresh chicken stock.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds skinless chicken legs, thighs, and breasts, fat trimmed
- 1 pound chicken backs, fat trimmed
- 3 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 dried Mexican bay leaf
- 5 peppercorns
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 2 large serrano chiles
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lard or canola oil
- 24 corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cups Homemade Crema (page 139)
- 1 cup mild, shredded cheese, such as Monterrey Jack or Colby
Instructions
- At least 2 hours before you’d like to eat, place the chicken, 1 garlic clove, the bayleaf, peppercorns and a quarter of the onion in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to very low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the chicken legs, thighs and breasts with tongs or a slotted spoon and let cool.
- Discard the chicken backs and strain the stock; set aside.
- Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Set aside.
- Place the tomatillos in a large saucepan. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic, peeled, and 2 quarters of the onion.
- Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat until the tomatillos turn pea green and soften, about 12 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl and let cool. (Vegetarians can reserve the cooking water, turn up the flame, and reduce for 15 to 20 minutes, to use in lieu of chicken stock, if they choose.)
- Stem the chiles and chop roughly with the cooked garlic.
- Add to a blender jar with half of the tomatillo mixture, and 1/2 cup of the strained chicken stock. (If you have a high-powered blender, toss all the ingredients in at once.) Blend until smooth.
- Add the remaining tomatillo-onion mixture and 1 teaspoon salt, and blend again until smooth.
- Warm 1 tablespoon lard in a large skillet over medium heat.
- When hot, add the sauce in one quick pour, being careful as it might splatter. Cook until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
- Heat 2 teaspoons lard in a small skillet over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom.
- Fry the tortillas lightly, one at a time, until slightly tougher but still pliable, about 30 seconds per side. (They shouldn’t be crisp.)
- As you work, remove the friedtortillas to serving plates—I like to serve 4 tortillas per person. Fold the tortillas in a half-moon shape and make sure they sit in an even layer on each plate.
- Dice the remaining quarter of onion. Ladle 3/4 cup sauce over over each serving of tortillas, spreading slightly so the tortillas are entirely smothered in sauce.
- Add a layer of diced onion and cilantro, a layer of shredded cheese, a layer of chicken, some crema and another layer of sauce.
- Top with another light sprinkling of diced onion.
Notes
COOKING TIP: I recommend making your own light stock here, using the water in which you’ve cooked the chicken; see recipeon page 98. If you can find a hen, which Mexican cooks consider to be the most flavorful stock base, use that. If you’re vegetarian, thisdish can still be pretty wonderful, especially if you use homemade vegetable stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these Enchiladas Verdes different from the rolled version most people know?
They are stacked, not rolled — four lightly fried corn tortillas layered on the plate, smothered in green tomatillo-serrano sauce, then topped with diced onion, cilantro, shredded chicken, and a blanket of crema and cheese. It is how they are served at the street stands in Mexico City that inspired this recipe, and it makes them far easier to assemble at home. 
Why lightly fry the tortillas before stacking them?
A quick fry in lard or canola oil — about 30 seconds per side — makes the tortillas slightly tougher so they hold up under the sauce. Skip that step and they turn to mush the moment you ladle the hot green sauce over them. They should still be pliable, not crisp.
What is epazote and why does Lesley Tellez say it matters for the quesadillas?
Epazote is a bitter, aromatic herb used widely in Mexican cooking. Lesley says it is the key ingredient in the mushroom quesadillas — a dish she specifically recommends for first-timers. You can find it at Mexican markets and bodegas in most cities.
Can I use store-bought stock for the green sauce instead of making the chicken stock from scratch?
You can, but the dish is better with the homemade light stock from simmering the chicken for 25 minutes — that same broth goes into the tomatillo sauce. If you are vegetarian, Lesley says to reduce the tomatillo cooking water for 15 to 20 minutes to concentrate it as a substitute.
