Red and green chile, Christmas style

Cook it at home: Christmas enchiladas: red and green chile on stacked corn tortillas

This is Santa Fe's order, red and green chile on one plate. Both sauces start from New Mexico chile. Make the red from dried pods and the green from roasted fresh chile, then stack the enchiladas flat, as New Mexico does, with a fried egg on top.

Pans and tools

• Dry skillet
• Blender
• Fine sieve
• 2 saucepans
• Frying skillet
• 4 oven-safe plates

You’ll need

• Red sauce: 8 dried New Mexico red chile pods (about 2 oz / 55 g), stems and seeds removed
• 2 cups (480 ml) hot water
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• Green sauce: 1 lb (450 g) roasted, peeled and chopped New Mexico green chile (frozen is fine)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup (240 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp salt
• To build: 12 corn tortillas
• Oil, for frying
• 2 cups (200 g) shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 4 eggs, for frying
• Shredded lettuce, optional

Steps

1. Red sauce: toast the pods in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds per side until they smell fruity. Do not let them blacken. Soak in the hot water for 20 minutes.
2. Blend the pods with their soaking water until smooth, then press through a sieve to remove skins. You should have about 2 cups.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute.
4. Add the strained chile, cumin, oregano and salt. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add water if it is too thick.
5. Green sauce: heat the oil in another saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
6. Add the chopped green chile, stock and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thick and the chile is very tender. Keep both sauces warm.
7. Heat 1/2 inch (1 cm) oil in a skillet to 350F (175C). Fry each tortilla for 5 to 10 seconds per side until soft and pliable, not crisp. Drain on paper towels.
8. Heat the oven to 375F (190C). On four oven-safe plates, dip a tortilla in the red sauce and lay it flat. Top with cheese and onion. Repeat twice for a stack of three. Put red sauce on one half of each stack and green on the other, then add a little more cheese.
9. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
10. Fry the eggs in a little oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Slide one onto each stack.
11. Serve right away with lettuce, if you like, and warm beans or posole on the side.

Contains: ['gluten', 'dairy', 'egg'].

Follow Chef on Pinterest for the dish in every city.