Chilaquiles For A Crowd From Rick Bayless Recipes

CHILAQUILES FOR A CROWD...FROM RICK BAYLESS

Steps:

• In a very large, (6-quart) Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high.
• Add about 2/3 of the onions, and cook, stirring often, until richly browned.
• Add salsa and broth and bring to a boil.
• When sauce is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and stir in the tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Press the chips down so that nearly all of the chips are submerged, some may still stick out.
• Strew the chicken over the top, then cover and let stand 3 to 4 minutes.
• Gently stir everything together, then drizzle with the crema and sprinkle with the onion, optional grated queso anejo and cilantro.
• serve without hesitation.

SIMPLE CHIPOTLE CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Heat the broiler. Spread the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and broil until they are darkly roasted, about 6 minutes a side.
• (Note: Chef Bayless uses half a large onion, but this recipe has substituted 1 small onion instead.) Cut the onion in half, then cut both halves into ¼-inch slices; reserve half of the slices for garnish. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or a deep, large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onion and cook, stirring regularly, until golden, about 7 minutes. Peel and mince the garlic cloves; add to golden onions and stir until soft, 1 more minute.
• Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and transfer to a blender. Add the chipotles and blend to a coarse purée. Pour the mixture into the pan with the sautéed onions and garlic; cook over medium-high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the epazote or cilantro and the broth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a rolling boil; taste and add more salt if necessary. Add the chips and make sure they are coated with the sauce; then cover the pan and turn off the heat. Allow to rest until the chips have soaked up the sauce, 5 minutes.
• Gently stir the chilaquiles before spooning them into a serving dish. Top with the remaining half of the onion slices and garnish with the crema, queso anejo, and additional epazote or cilantro.