Enchiladas

Ingredients

Filling

• 500 g (3 fillets) chicken breast (long thick slices)
• 1 green bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 large red onion (sliced)
• 1 courgette (grated and squeezed dry)
• 1 mozzarella ball (grated)
• 200-300 g cheddar (grated)
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 350 ml chilli base sauce (from below)
• 350 ml hot water
• 4 large tortillas

Chilli Base Sauce (makes far more than this recipe needs)

• 6 guajillo dried chillies
• 4 pasilla dried chillies
• 3 ancho dried chillies
• 3 arbol dried chillies
• 1 red onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 500 ml tomato passata
• 1 litre chicken & vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp ground coriander seed
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 limes (juiced)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

To Serve

• 1 spring onion (finely sliced)
• Fresh coriander (roughly chopped)
• 1 lime (quartered)
• Sour cream

Method

Stage 1 - Make the Chilli Base Sauce

1. Preheat a dry frying pan over low heat.
2. Chop the tops off the dried chillies, split them open and shake out the seeds.
3. Raise the pan to medium-high and toast the chillies for around 30 seconds per side, until fragrant; don't let them blacken.
4. Transfer the toasted chillies to a bowl of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes to rehydrate.
5. While the chillies soak, char the whole red onion in the same dry pan over medium-high heat until blackened in spots and softened, around 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic cloves for the last 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
6. Blend the rehydrated chillies, charred onion, garlic, ground coriander, paprika, and salt with a couple of ladles of stock to a loose paste.
7. Tip the paste into a saucepan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes to bloom the spices.
8. Add the tomato passata, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Stir in the remaining stock, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
10. Reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, then finish with the lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside.

Stage 2 - Cook the Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
2. Heat a splash of oil in a large sauté pan over high heat and sear the chicken strips until coloured on the outside but not cooked through. Lift out and set aside.
3. Drop the heat to medium-high, add the red onion, and caramelise lightly, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the grated courgette and cook until the water has cooked off and the courgette has softened.
5. Add the bell peppers and stir-fry until they start to go floppy at the edges, 3-4 minutes.
6. In a jug, combine 350 ml of the chilli base sauce with 350 ml hot water, 1 tbsp cumin and 1 tbsp paprika.
7. Pour HALF of this cooking sauce into the pan, return the chicken with any resting juices, and stir to coat.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer until the filling thickens and the chicken is cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
9. Off the heat, stir in half the cheddar and half the mozzarella until the filling is gooey.

Stage 3 - Build & Bake

1. Grease a deep baking dish.
2. Divide the filling evenly between the 4 tortillas, roll them up tight, and arrange seam-side down in the dish.
3. Pour the remaining cooking sauce evenly over the top so every roll is coated.
4. Scatter the remaining cheddar and mozzarella evenly across the top.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and crisping at the edges.

Stage 4 - Finish & Serve

1. Rest the dish for 2-3 minutes out of the oven so the filling sets.
2. Scatter spring onion and chopped coriander over the top.
3. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, and any extra chilli base sauce in a jug on the side.