Alton Brown Enchilada Recipes

ENCHILADA LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Combine the chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan and put over high heat.
• Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chiles are soft. Set aside until ready to use.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken along with half a teaspoon of the salt and sauté until the meat is just cooked through, approximately 7 to 9 minutes. Move the chicken from the pan to a plate or bowl. Add the onions to the same pan along with the other half teaspoon salt, decrease the heat to medium-low, and sweat for 4 to 6 minutes. Then add the garlic and oregano and cook until the onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Stir the chicken into the mixture and remove from the heat.
• Halve 3 of the tortillas
• Lube a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray then dose half a cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. I usually spread it around with a large rubber spatula.
• Dip 4 tortillas (three whole and one cut into halves) into the remaining sauce and lay them into the bottom of the dish. Cut 1 of the tortillas in half to evenly cover the bottom of the dish.
• Top this with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layering finishing with the remaining sauce and remaining cup of cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly.

VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chile powder, cumin and cayenne, and continue to cook, stirring, until the spices are toasted, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, the tomato puree and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly (it should be looser and thinner than marinara sauce), 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the filling: Squeeze all the excess moisture out of the spinach. Put it into a large bowl with the pinto beans, and squeeze with your hands to combine and smash up the beans a little. Add half of both the Cheddar and the pepper Jack, half of both the sour cream and the scallions and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and stir to combine.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay the tortillas out on a work surface, and spread 1 side of each with about 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce. Put about 1/4 cup of the filling across the middle of each tortilla. Roll each up, then shingle them in 2 even rows in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas, and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil, and bake until the cheeses are melted and the filling is hot, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking to heat completely through, about 10 minutes more.
• For the topping: Whisk together the remaining sour cream, the lime juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the baked enchiladas, and sprinkle with the remaining scallions.

ENCHILADA LASAGNA, COURTESY ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• Combine the chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chiles are soft Set aside until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken until cooked through, approx 7-9 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a medium bowl. Add the onions to the same pan along with a generous pinch of salt, decrease the heat to medium-low and sweat for 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until the onions are tender, 2-3 minutes more. Add the chicken back to the pan and remove from heat.
• Spray a 13x9 glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Place 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. Dip 4 tortillas into the remaining sauce and lay them in the bottom of the dish. Cut one of the tortillas in half to evenly cover the bottom of the dish. Top this with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of the cheese. Starting with 4 more tortillas, repeat the layers, ending with the last 4 tortillas on top. Pour remaining sauce over the dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly.

ALTON - RED SAUCE

Steps:

• In a sieve over a medium non-reactive saucepot, strain the tomatoes of their juice into the sauce pot. Add the sherry vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil to the tomato juice. Stir and cook over high heat. Once bubbles begin to form on the surface, reduce to a simmer. Allow liquid to reduce by 1/2 or until liquid has thickened to a loose syrup consistency. Squeeze each tomato thoroughly to ensure most seeds are removed. Set the tomatoes aside.
• Cut carrot, onion, and celery into uniform sizes and combine with olive oil and garlic in a non-reactive roasting pan over low heat. Sweat the mirepoix until the carrots are tender and the onion becomes translucent, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and capers to the roasting pan.
• Place roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven and broil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Tomatoes should start to brown slightly on edges with light caramelization. Remove the pan from the broiler. Place the pan over 2 burners on the stove. Add the white wine to the tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes over medium heat. Put the tomatoes into a deep pot or bowl and add the reduced tomato liquid to the tomatoes. Blend to desired consistency and adjust seasoning