Who in the world would have thought that one of Mexico’s most iconic dishes, Enchiladas Suizas, came into existence thanks to two Americans? Yes, you read that right. So, let me tell you a story.
The year: 1903. The main characters: Walter and Frank Sanborn, two business savvy and very brave brothers from California. And last but not least, the location: Mexico City, the place where the Sanborns founded their first drugstore.
Once established, the Sanborns made a very smart HR move. To prevent their employees from going home for long lunches (and naps), Frank and Walt set up an employee cafeteria. When the Mexican Revolution was over, Frank Sanborns saw the huge business potential of the Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles). Back then, it was a dilapidated Colonial palace. He turned it into the most opulent and breath-taking restaurant in town. It stands proudly, to this day, defying time. It is, I kid you not, a sight to behold.
Years passed. By now the brothers owned several outlets. Also, the Sanborns, visionaries that they were, expanded into the department store business. And with space not being a problem, the humble employee cafeterias morphed into in-store restaurants for their customers.
In 1950, one of their chefs came up with the now famous Enchiladas Suizas recipe. They became an instant hit and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, there is nothing Swiss about these enchiladas. They were dubbed “Enchiladas Suizas” because the key to their rich flavor are the diary ingredients. And here I was, thinking my whole life that they were named, rather romantically, after the deeply green, snow-capped landscapes of beautiful Switzerland.
This version of enchiladas is a departure from the more traditional dish, usually based on tomato sauce and mostly made in a skillet, while Enchiladas Suizas are oven-baked, soupier and richer.
Enchiladas Suizas
Ingredients
- 8 units medium tomatillos husked, rinsed
- 1 unit Serrano chili seeded and stemmed
- 1/4 wedge of a medium white onion peeled
- 3 units cloves of garlic peeled
- 1 unit small bunch of fresh cilantro 7 – 10 sprigs, rinsed
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- ground pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 units soft corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken cooked
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1/2 cup shredded Manchego or Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a heavy saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the tomatillos, chile and onion and boil them until the tomatillos' color changes to light olive.
- Place the garlic cloves, chicken bouillon and cilantro in a blender. Add the boiled tomatillos, chile, onion and 1 cup of the boiling water. Process until smooth.
- In a small bowl, add the whole milk to the sour cream and mix well, until smooth.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Make the tortillas pliable by frying them briefly in the oil, 5 – 10 seconds on each side, until you see air bubbling under the thin skin surface of the tortilla. They should not brown too much and they should still be pliable. Drain excess oil with paper kitchen towels.
- Spread enough salsa verde, 1/4 to 1/3 cup, to cover the bottom of a large baking pan, big enough to accommodate all the stuffed, rolled-up enchiladas. Divide the chicken evenly between the tortillas, roll them up and place them at the bottom of the baking pan, seam side down and in just one layer.
- Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Drizzle with the sour cream mixture and evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the enchiladas and the salsa.
- Bake for 30- 35 minutes until bubbly and when cheese has started to brown. Serve immediately.
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