“I tried these enchiladas on a solo trip to Barcelona after a groggy night flight and they blew my mind – a completely new flavour palette I wasn’t used to,” shares Sugar & Spice author Remi Idowu. “Since then, I have searched the internet to learn how to make traditional enchiladas and have been shocked by how different they are from your typical British ones. This is my favourite way of making them now, and I’m sure these will be your new favourite, too. If you can, splurge on a good chipotle paste; all the flavours come from it.”
Method
1 Start with the sauce. Put the tomatoes, onion and bouillon powder into a saucepan and add enough water to cover, then cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes and onion are soft. Reserving the stock, transfer the tomatoes and onion to a blender, along with the garlic, cream, cream cheese and chipotle paste and blend until smooth and creamy. If the sauce feels too thick, loosen it with some of the reserved stock. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little salt if needed, then set aside.
2 Put the chicken breasts into a saucepan and cover with the remaining reserved stock (top up with more water if it isn’t covered). Bring to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through and tender, then remove from the stock. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle over the paprika, salt and pepper, then toss together, making sure the chicken is well coated. Set aside.
3 Preheat your oven to 180°C fan.
4 Heat some of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add a tortilla and fry for about 30 seconds on each side until golden and flexible (this prevents them from becoming soggy later). Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels to remove the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining oil and tortillas.
5 Now, take each fried tortilla and spoon some of the seasoned chicken into the centre. Roll up each one tightly and set aside while you make the next. Pour about a third of the chipotle cream sauce into the bottom of an ovenproof dish and spread out into an even layer. Place the rolled tortillas seam-side down in the dish so they fit snugly, then pour over the remaining sauce, ensuring every tortilla is covered.
6 Sprinkle the mozzarella over the enchiladas and bake for 10–15 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden and deliciously bubbly. Feel free to serve garnished with parsley and onions for a touch of freshness.
REMI’S TIP Make sure not to fry the tortillas for too long as they will be hard to wrap later on.
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Remi Idowu is a content creator, recipe developer and cookbook author. Recipe taken from her debut book, Sugar & Spice: Flavour-packed dinners and desserts to crave.
