341124 Thu Nov 09 00:25:02 -0800 2006 0 31 Home Cooking 0 2007370 I'm a bit afraid to admit that during "One Plate at at Time" month I actually made a recipe from a different Mexican cookbook. But in my defense, it was at my wife's request to try something a little more inventive. Marilyn Tausend's "Savoring Mexico," published by Williams-Sonoma, is an excellent book. While it has some a good amount of basic dishes and fundamental advice like OPAAT, it's real value are in the more regional or creative dishes. Sopa Verde de Tortilla from Jalisco is essentially chilaquiles. But it's quite different than any I've made before primarily due to the added richness of crema (Mexican sour cream) in the sauce, which I've never used before in this way. Tausend says this dish would typically be served before a main course, similar to the way pasta would be served in an Italian meal. But I was looking for a main course so I added shredded chicken. Below is the recipe as I made it, with notes on how the original differs. This recipe was a great success and I will absolutely be making this again, as well as experimenting with crema in my tomato-based and tomatillo-based chilaquiles recipes. Sopa Verde de Tortilla 12 corn tortillas (Tausend: 15 tortillas) 2 skinless chicken breasts on the bone (Tausend: no chicken) oil for frying and sauteeing 2 tbsp butter 1/2 cup coarsely chopped chives (Tausend: green onion tops also okay) 5 pasilla chiles (Tausend: 5 poblano chiles) 15-20 large leaves of fresh epazote 1 1/2 cups reserved broth from boiling chickens (Tausend: 1 1/2 cups water) salt 1/2 cup crema 1/2 cup grated Oaxacan cheese (Tausend: or asadero, Manchego, or white cheddar) 1. Cup the tortillas into strips about 3/4" by 2". Allow to air dry or bake in oven. Fry in batches in about 1" of oil until lightly golden. Allow to drain on paper towels. 2. Boil chicken breasts in plenty of water until temperature reaches 160 in thickest part of breast, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken and reserve cooking liquid. Allow chicken to cool enough to handle, then finely shred and season with salt. Set aside. (Tausend obviously skips this step entirely) 3. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a round 9" baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter. 4. Roast chiles until skin is blackened using whatever method suits you best (broiler, BBQ grill, gas burner, etc.), then peel, seed, and devein. Combine chiles, chives or green onions, epazote, 1 1/2 cups of reserved chicken cooking liquid, and blend until smooth. (Tausend: pass through a sieve after blending, which I neglected to do and don't think is necessary since the chiles were already cleaned). 5. In a frying pan over medium heat, warm about 1 tbsp of oil. Add the chile sauce and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking or burning. Remove from heat, season with salt, and add the crema. Add the tortillas and chicken to the sauce and mix well. 6. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Top with small dabs of the remaining butter and the shredded cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbling slightly. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serves 6 as a main course. Thu Nov 09 00:25:02 -0800 2006 10343 nja