Recipe: Roasted Chicken, Wild Mushroom, and Smoked Mozzarella Enchilada
Serves: 6 to 8
Coffee: Louisiane – smoky
Inspiration
Hunger, my friend. Hunger calls for speed. And in cooking, speed often means forethought. So whether you buy a roasted chicken at the market or throw a few extra legs into the oven when working on another meal, first thing you need is some cooked chicken. The next thing is a good quality basic flavored tomato sauce. I used the tomato sauce that we posted earlier (here’s the recipe). From there on in, it’s a simple equation: work fast=eat quick.
Preparation
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces mixed mushrooms (I mixed Portobello, Hedgehog, and Hen of the Woods)
1 red bell pepper, cut from stem, seeded and chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 scallions, sliced ¼ inch thick
Sixteen 6-inch corn tortillas
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 chicken legs or 1 whole roasted chicken on the smaller side (typically abut 2.75 pounds, or about 3.5 cups picked meat)
1 pound smoked mozzarella, coarse grated
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
One 24-ounce jar basic tomato sauce
To garnish: avocado, lime, and cilantro
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Have a 9 X 13-inch ovenproof casserole handy.
Sauté mushrooms and red bell pepper in olive oil until the mushrooms are a light golden brown and the peppers tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add oregano and scallions, and toss until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Lightly glaze a medium-sized sauté pan with vegetable oil (working with only about .5 tablespoon at a time) and over moderate heat, briefly fry the corn tortillas on each side, until they are just cooked through and only very lightly browned. Work quickly and stack the tortillas on top of each other as they come out of the pan so they don’t dry out. They need to remain pliable enough to roll.
Transfer the cooled mushrooms to a mixing bowl. Add the cooked chicken and half of the grated smoked mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper, and fold all of the ingredients together, checking and adjusting seasoning.
Spread about a quarter of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of the casserole.
Working one at a time, place a big spoonful of the chicken mix evenly across the center of each tortilla and roll into a cylinder with about .5 inch overlap. Place in the casserole seam side down, lining the rolled and filled tortillas up tightly next to each other. Cover evenly with the remaining tomato sauce, and then scatter the remaining smoked mozzarella over the top.
Place in oven until the enchiladas are hot through, and the cheese is completely melted and beginning to brown lightly on top, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Cut into gooey squares and serve with slices of avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime.
