The Wild Cook

Mexican chicken enchiladas with cheese

We are a family of foodies and our favourite cuisine is Mexican.

Over time I will share all our favourite Mexican dishes, but today is the enchilada. An enchilada is a tortilla dipped in sauce, rolled around a meat, fish or vegetable filling, covered with lashings of sauce and cheese, then baked until the cheese is golden.

They are spectacularly delicious and remarkably easy to make. I usually make ours with pheasant, but you can use chicken for a very similar result.

The main ingredient, and what makes it better than a taco or burrito, is the sauce. You could buy it, but why would you when my recipe is so much better? Tortillas are also really easy to make.

If you have time limitations, the Home Brand 15-packs of flour tortillas are fine to use and economical, too. I make my sauce using Made by Mawera Taco Seasoning, available at The Fresh Market and at Hunting and Fishing stores.

While this produces the same flavour as mine, I will always provide an alternative so you can still make the recipe at home.

Kia Makona, Mawera x

Pheasant enchilada Enchilada sauce
¦2 Tbsp vegetable or rice bran oil
¦2 Tbsp all-purpose or gluten-free flour
¦4 Tbsp Made by Mawera Taco Seasoning
¦2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
If you cannot get the Made by Mawera product, instead please use:
¦2 Tbsp chili powder
¦1/2 tsp salt
¦1/4 tsp cumin
¦1/4 tsp dried oregano
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together over the heat for 1 minute. Stir in seasonings. Gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick.
Can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Tortillas
¦2 cups all-purpose flour
¦1/2 tsp salt
¦3/4 C water
¦3 tablespoons of good oil
In a large bowl combine flour and salt, then stir in oil and water. Combine well and turn out on to a floured surface. Kneed for 2 minutes, adding a little flour or water as required to make a smooth dough. Rest for half an hour.
Divide dough into eight and roll into balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out to 18-20cm round.
In a large, lightly oiled non-stick pan, cook tortillas over a medium heat for 40-60 seconds per side, until lightly browned.
This recipe can be doubled and cooked tortillas can be frozen between sheets of baking paper.

Enchiladas
¦8 skinless pheasant (or 4 skinless chicken breast), diced
¦1 red onion, sliced
¦1 clove of garlic, minced
¦1 red capsicum, sliced
¦300ml sour cream
¦1 cup tasty cheese and 3/4 cup extra for the top
¦1 tsp dried parsley
¦1 tsp chilli
¦1 Tblsp fresh oregano, sliced, or 1 tsp of dried
¦1 tsp salt
¦1/2 tsp black pepper
¦1/2 C water
¦300ml enchilada sauce
¦8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 175°C. In a medium frying pan, over medium heat, cook the garlic, onion and capsicum. Add pheasant or chicken and cook until the juices run clear. Add sour cream, cheese, parsley, oregano and ground black pepper. Heat until cheese melts. Stir in salt, 150ml enchilada sauce, chilli powder, green pepper and garlic. Add water as required to stop the mixture from becoming too thick.
Brush each tortilla with enchilada sauce. Roll even amounts of the mixture in the tortillas. Arrange in a baking dish. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce and 3/4 cup cheese. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool before serving.