In the United States, and for much of the world, the word, “enchilada” often evokes
images of corn tortillas filled with cheese, chicken, or ground beef and smothered with ancho chile gravy and yellow cheese. But in Mexico, there is more than one way to make an enchilada.
The tortillas can be served rolled, folded, or flat. Fillings can feature beef, pork, poultry, seafood, cheese, or vegetables. Toppings can range from a mild purée of beans or tomatoes to sauces shimmering with the piquancy of green poblano chiles, smoldering with the smoky heat of chipotles, or ablaze with the orange-red flame of habaneros.
Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex by famed San Antonio restaurateur Cappy Lawton and food writer Chris Waters Dunn, is an in-depth exploration of one of Mexico’s most historic and popular foods. Illustrated with 50 sumptuous photographs, the book features more than 60 traditional and modern recipes for enchiladas, as well as 40 recipes for the salsas, sauces, salads, and sides that accompany them.
What really makes Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex come alive is the wealth of historical and culinary information packed into this one-of-a-kind cookbook. Cappy Lawton, owner of La Fonda on Main, one of the country’s oldest Mexican restaurants in San Antonio, Texas, shares entertaining anecdotes and expert cooking advice with readers so they can master the art of making perfect, authentic enchiladas, including making corn tortillas from scratch, fire-roasting fresh chiles, making homemade queso fresco and crema Mexicana, and cooking the perfect Mexican rice—six ways!
Readers explore the delicious world of enchiladas through a wide variety of recipes divided by Pork, Beef, Poultry, Seafood, Vegetable, Dairy, and Tex-Mex and include:
- Pipián and Pork Enchiladas
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Enchiladas Verdes de Tlaxcala
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Enchiladas de Ropa Vieja
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Enchiladas de Barbacoa
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Enchiladas de Pato (Duck)
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Enchiladas Queretanas
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Entomatadas with Chiles
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Enchiladas de Nopales (Cactus)
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Enchiladas de Jaiba (Crab)
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Enchiladas Huastecas con Huevos
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Enfrijoladas al Estilo de Oaxaca
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Tex-Mex Brisket Enchiladas
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Enchiladas Berenjenas (Eggplant)
One of our favorites is this Open-Faced Shrimp Enchiladas recipe, but don’t take our word for it, give it a try for yourself.
Open-Faced Shrimp Enchiladas Recipe:
Yields 6 enchiladas / Serves 6
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
For the shrimp:
For the assembly:
* 24 inner leaves from hearts of romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
Directions
Start with the vinaigrette:
* Soak the prepared guajillo chiles in hot water until soft, about 15 minutes.
* Place in a blender along with the chipotles en adobo, orange zest, and vinegar, and pulse until the chiles and zest are finely minced.
Prepare the shrimp:
Assemble the enchiladas:
* Have the salad components ready and at hand.
Note: To make the ground guajillo chile powder: Clean, destem, deseed, and dry roast a guajillo chile until crisp and grind to a powder in a spice grinder.
Microgreens are tiny vegetable greens that are harvested when a plant is very young—less than 2 weeks old and 2–3 inches in height. They add both flavor and visual interest to a dish.
Photos and recipe credits: ENCHILADAS: AZTEC TO TEX-MEX By Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn
Trinity University Press/November 2014 $39.95 Hardcover / eBook