Chicken Crêpes- crepas de pollo en Salsa Verde

Crepas de pollo en Salsa VerdeChicken Crêpe's


with many years of my childhood spent in the American Southwest I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about Mexican food. Phoenix, Arizona isn't exactly suffering from a lack of Mexican restaurants, but the menus all tend to reflect more the Sonoran type of cuisine. In retrospect it's still some the best Mexican cuisine you can get your hands on but did you ever think you could walk into a Mexican restaurant and order a Crêpe? There is much more to Mexican food it turns out... Aztec, Mayan and Spanish influences, with a bit of French as well.

Crêpe Batter:


2 Eggs, well beaten

2/3 Cup Whole Milk


1 pinch Kosher Salt

1/2 cup sifted, all-purpose flour

Crêpe Filling:


2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Medium Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 large Chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/4 Cup Pine nuts, toasted

1 Tablespoon Dates, chopped

1 Tablespoon Spanish Olives, chopped

2 Jalapeno Peppers, finely chopped
Salsa Verde:

Anaheim Chiles1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk

3/4 Cup Grated Queso Enchilada Cheese*

2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

steps:

1. Prepare the Crêpes: combine the eggs, milk, butter, and salt. Add to the sifted flour and beat until smooth. Allow to rest 10 minutes. Pour approximately 3 tablespoons of the batter into a lightly greased 7 inch omelette pan. Tilt the pan until the batter has spread evenly over the bottom. When lightly browned, turn the Crêpe and brown the other side. Reserve, and continue the process until all the Crêpes are made.

2. Prepare the filling: sauté the onions in the butter until soft. Add the tomatoes and simmer for five minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for five more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and reserve. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in each Crêpe, roll into a tube, and lay in a buttered baking dish.

3. Make the sauce: lightly brushed the chilies with oil in place under the broiler until singed on all sides. Wrap them in a damp towel, and allow to rest for approximately 30 minutes. When the time is past, remove this stems and the seeds from the peppers. Sauté the peppers in the onions in butter until the onions become translucent. Place onions and peppers into a blender, and purée until smooth. Return mixture to pan. Mix cornstarch with milk; add to the pepper and onion mixture; simmer gently for approximately 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the grated cheese and stir until incorporated evenly. Pour the sauce over the graves and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake in 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped cilantro.



*queso enchilada(anejo enchilado): This is a hard Mexican cheese that's coated with red chile paste. Substitutes: 1 Cup of Cotija, Romano, or Parmesan that has been shredded and tossed with 1/4 Teaspoon of smoked paprika.