potato and green chile tacos

El Cid has been with me every step of my Chicago way. It was one of the first restaurants I ever went to here. When I got back from the post-college month in Europe, getting on the el from O'Hare, I went straight to the restaurant for a burrito. Birthdays have been celebrated, break ups mourned- their strong margaritas are good for both.

For the past couple of years I've fallen into a delicious rut with El Cid. My order is one avocado taco and one potato taco. Now, the avocado one is a no-brainer to make, but I was always curious about the potato.

Recently I came across Rick Bayless' recipe for potato and green chile taco filling. I gave it a shot and completely loved it. I'm not giving up El Cid yet, but since I no longer live around the corner from them, this will keep me happy in the winter months. You know, until their patio reopens.

Soft Taco Filling: Potatoes and Green Chiles

2 small (about 6 ounces total) boiling potatoes like the red-skinned ones, halved
1 1/2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
3 medium, fresh chiles poblanos, roasted and peeled
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese like mild domestic goat or farmer's cheese *I've never added the cheese and it's still really good*

1.   The potatoes.   Simmer the potatoes in salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool under running water, peel and cut into 1/4-inch dice.

2.    Fry the mixture.   Heat the lard or oil in a heavy medium-size skillet over medium. Add the onion and potato, and fry, stirring regularly to ensure that nothing sticks to the pan, until the mixture is nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are browning, seed the chiles and slice them into 1/8-inch strips. Stir them into the potato mixture, season with salt, remove from the fire and stir in the cheese. Scrape into a small dish and cool before using.

enchiladas especiales tacuba style

On Friday night I went to the Windy City Soul Club's dance party. It was lots and lots of fun, but also really tiring (when did I get old?). My productive Saturday was pretty shot, leaving me eating poached eggs on the couch and watching a marathon of Rick Bayless' show Mexico- One Plate At A Time on public television.

In my weakened state Rick convinced me I had  to make these enchiladas that night. My brain was pretty mushy, so I agreed without question. I should have known he wouldn't steer me wrong. You see, he and I have a special relationship- I once grabbed his leg at a Time Out Chicago restaurant awards ceremony while he was going up to accept his trophy and my chair was in his path. That was the day I learned celebrity sightings and open bars are a bad combination for me.

His enchiladas had chicken in them, so I made a mix of black beans and chopped mushrooms. Next time I will add onion and some jalapeno to the filling and pulse it all in the food processor first. And I will definitely be making these again. Possibly some time this week.


enchiladas especiales tacuba style
Serves 4 to 6
 This recipe is from Season 7 Mexico - One Plate at a Time

Ingredients

2 fresh poblano chiles
1 cup (lightly packed) roughly chopped spinach leaves
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter—or you can use vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup flour
Salt
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups (about) chopped mushrooms
12 corn tortillas
A little vegetable oil for brushing or spraying
About 1 cup Mexican melting cheese (Chihuahua, quesadilla, asadero or the like) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar
A little chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

 In large skillet, saute the mushroom pieces with a little olive oil until cooked. Mix in medium bowl with the rinsed black beans and set aside.

Make the sauce- Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, turning regularly, until the skins have blistered and blackened on all side, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes under the broiler. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and, when handleable, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the seed pod and stem. Quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and put in a blender jar.  Add the spinach.

In a medium (3-quart) saucepan, combine the milk and broth, set over medium-low heat to warm.

In a large (4-quart) saucepan, melt the butter (or heat the oil) over medium.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add the flour and stir the mixture for a minute.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Pour in the warm broth mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce boils.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

Pour half the hot sauce into the blender with the chiles and spinach.  Cover loosely (I remove the center part of the lid, secure the lid, then drape a cloth over the whole thing) and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining sauce.  Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons. 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Smear about 1/4 cup of the sauce over the bottom of each of four to six 9-inch individual ovenproof baking/serving dishes or smear about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish.  Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the mushroom/black bean mix
.
Lay half of the tortillas out on a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil; top each tortilla with another one and brush or spray those with oil.  Bake just to warm through and soften, about 3 minutes.  Stack the tortillas and cover with a towel to keep warm.  

Working quickly so that the tortillas stay hot and pliable, roll a portion of the filling up in each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish(es).  Douse evenly with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheese.  Bake until the enchiladas are hot through (the cheese will have begun to brown), about 20 minutes.  Garnish with the cilantro and serve without hesitation.