The Mexican food in California is so good that we never forgo burritos in the Mission while we're in SF. There's nothing fancy about a meal here and it's some of the best food I've ever eaten. In anticipation of the first taste of Spanish rice and the warm charred flesh of carne asada, we've decided to make some Mexican food of our own for lunch in Napa, namely Rick Bayless's tomatillo fish enchiladas. I've been a fan of Bayless ever since he won Top Chef Masters, proving Mexican food worthy of the esteem that's usually associated with Italian and French cuisine. His book, Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, brings the flavors and methods of Mexican country cooking to life. I love the homemade touches in this recipe like sautéing the fish flesh until flakey in salted water and then using the same briney water to soften a cup of diced potatoes.
Serves 4 as a light main dish
For 2 cups Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce
7 or 8 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Fresh serrano chiles to taste, stemmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups fish or chicken broth
8 oz boneless, skinless fish fillets (skate)
2 medium-small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
8 corn tortillas
1/4 cup crème fraîche
A generous 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus 8 sprigs for garnish
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
3 tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese
4 French radishes
1. Lay the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet and place about 4 inches from the broiler. When the tomatillos and chiles blister, darken, and soften on one side (about 5 minutes), turn them over and roast on the other side. Transfer the tomatillos, chiles, and any juices into a blender.
2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add half the onion and cook until richly browned. Add in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the onions and garlic to the chile mixture and process to a medium-fine paste.
3. Wipe the skillet clean, set it over high heat and when hot enough, add 1/2 tablespoon of the chile paste to hear a hot sizzle. Pour the paste in all at once and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce darken slightly and thickens. Add the broth, return to a boil and reduce the heat to medium, and simmer briskly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This sauce will keep a couple days in the refrigerator and can be water-bath canned to keep for months.
4. Place the fish into a skillet and cover with salted water. Simmer over high heat until the fish flakes easily. Remove the flaked fish with a slotted spoon and then add the diced potatoes to the salted water. Simmer until tender, about 5 minutes, drain off the liquid. Flake the fish into the pan, add the potatoes, and 1/2 cop of the tomatillo sauce. Mix gently, cover, and set aside.
5. Set up a steamer (a vegetable steamer in a large saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of water works well) and heat to a boil. Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, lay in the steamer, and cover with a tight lid. Boil 1 minute, turn off the heat, and let stand without opening for 15 minutes.
6. Turn the oven to the lowest setting and warm 4 to 8 plates in it. Bring the remaining tomatillo sauce to a simmer over low heat, add the crème fraîche and 1/4 cup of the chopped cilantro. Taste, season with salt and keep warm; warm the fish and potato filling. Mix the remaining half of the diced onion with the remaining two tablespoons of cilantro.
7. One serving at a time, finish the enchiladas. Lay two warm tortillas side by side on an individual plate, spoon a portion of the filling across one side, fold over, ladle a portion of sauce and sprinkle with cheese, the onion cilantro mixture and radishes.
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