Recipes!

Recently I mentioned making King Ranch Chicken which is a staple in Texas.  Everyone makes it, everyone knows how to make it and as per usual, everyone does it just a wee bit different.  And someone asked for the recipe.

So I am here to share the recipe with you.  And also I am going to give you one that is even better.

Here is my thinking on this:  As I said above, everyone in Texas makes the King Ranch Chicken casserole which gets its name from the King Ranch.  Supposedly a cook on the ranch put this together and that's how it came to be known as King Ranch Chicken.  *And could I say King Ranch any more times in this paragraph?

But before I go further in my story about these 2 recipes I want to give you the link to the actual King Ranch . Just in case you want to peruse this fine establishment and see what's what on their site.  The King Ranch is the largest ranch in the whole wide world.  It is bigger than many of the east coast small-ish states.

So with the King Ranch Chicken casserole, it's one of those recipes that evolved over time.  I am sure way back in the day when the cook first made this he/she did NOT run right out to the store to get a couple of canned goods to get started.  On a property with that many thousands and thousands of acres you don't run right out for anything.  So it makes sense that it was probably made with from-scratch items and then when it became popular it was easier to get home cooks to make this using store-bought cans to make a few shortcuts.

I have made this and eaten this my whole life.  And when we moved to Guadalajara I took a TON of different cooking classes.  One set of which were taught by a neighbor of mine, the late Maria Machuca. She was a very talented cook and a great teacher.  She taught me to make a Mexican tradition known as Chilequiles.  The first time I tasted it I knew immediately that this is what the King Ranch Chicken was trying to imitate.  The cook probably had come from Mexico and had the recipe or the taste memory of the Chilequiles and wanted to recreate it with local ingredients available.

So I am giving you both, the King Ranch Chicken and Maria's recipe for Chilequiles.  Try them both and see what you think.

King Ranch Chicken

1 3-lb. chicken, cut up
2 cans cream soup (can be mushroom, chicken, celery.  I usually do one mushroom and one chicken)
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with chiles
1 dozen corn tortillas, cut into wedges (much like a pizza or a Trivial Pursuit game piece)
2 cups cheese, grated

Boil the chicken with some celery, parsley, garlic, onion or whatever you like to flavor the meat. You are going to use a bit of the broth in the recipe, as well.  After the chicken is cooked and cooled, debone and cut or tear the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the cans of soup with the Ro-Tel and about a cup or so of the broth and mix till smooth.

In a large casserole or a 9x13 pyrex pan, layer up tortillas, chicken, cheese, soup mixture, tortillas, chicken, the rest of the soup and then top with the rest of the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour.  I usually take the foil off the last 15 minutes and let the cheese brown a bit for the last part of the cooking.

Sounds good, right?  It is.

Now here is the recipe for the Chilequiles

2 pkg of corn tortillas (I usually go with about 24 - 36), cut into the same wedges
1/2 liter heavy cream or sour cream
1/2 kilo shredded Mexican Manchego cheese or a good Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella (you want the melty stretchiness)
3/4 kilo green tomatillos
6 small green serrano peppers
1 small wedge of onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups cilantro

In a good-sized saucepan cover the tomatillos with water. Add the peppers, onion and garlic. Boil until water darkens, about 10 minutes.

After you have cut the tortillas into wedges, heat some oil in a frying pan and fry them till crispy and golden.  Spread on paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt. (try to not eat them all!)

Shred the cheese.

Let the tomatillos and peppers cool a bit. Then put the tomatillos, and 3 of the peppers and the onion and garlic into the blender or food processor.  Add a bit of salt and the cilantro.  Blend with 1 1/2 cups of the water they were boiled in.  *This is going to make way more green salsa than you will need for this dish. Don't try to use it all or your Chilequiles will be swimming and soggy.

In a 9x13 pyrex layer tortillas, green sauce and cream. Repeat layers and top with the shredded cheese.

Bake until bubbly and heated through.

***Now here is the deal with Chilequiles.  This is a dish made to use up the leftover tortillas from yesterday that are not all soft and pliable.  This dish is often made with shredded leftover chicken in the layers.  I also put half the cheese in the middle and half on top.

We like to make this with leftover smoked chicken too.  It's very good.

This dish is served all over Mexico with refried beans and sliced avocado.  You can order it for breakfast, brunch or lunch.  Some places ask you if you want yours made with green or red sauce.  I prefer the green.

And by the way, that green sauce in the recipe up there?  That is killer!  It is so darn good you will want to keep dipping those fresh hot tortilla chips in it.  So, if you want to be really traditional when you serve this sauce at your table, dice up a couple of really firm and ripe Haas avocados and mix them in.  Now, THAT is a beautiful thing right there.

Please, try both of these dishes and let me know how it goes for you and if you have a preference.

¡Buen Provecho!