It’s the new year and almost all of us are a bit thicker in the middle, regretting our holiday indulgence. But no kid wants to sit down to a plate of lettuce and boiled chicken for dinner, and to be honest that doesn’t sound appetizing to me either. So we turned to Pebbles Courtyard owner Ray Yue Heng to find out what he feeds his family when they want to be healthy without skimping on taste or style. Heng told us “Any masa-based dish is very healthy with the nixtamalized corn process…which is the only way to extract nutrients from corn. Corn tortillas are very healthy and low carb.”
But with so many masa-based dishes to choose from, where do we begin? Well, Heng’s son Arthur loves it when dad makes enchilada suizas at home, and he was kind enough to share the recipe with us, adding, “If you’re a fast cook and have all the ingredients ready, you can put this dish together within 30-40 minutes. If you pre-cooked the sauce, then it’s even faster, with just an assembly job!”
And if this still seems a bit daunting, well you could always stop in at Pebbles – which is currently celebrating its 12-year anniversary – or order take out!
ENCHILADA SUIZAS
Start to finish: 30-40 minutes
Servings: 4
8 4-inch or 6 6-inch corn tortillas
300 grams of shredded rotisserie chicken
100-120grams swiss or mozzarella cheese
For the salsa verde
794g or 1 can tomatillo
1/2 small white onion
4-6 garlic cloves
1 green bell pepper
*3 green chiles or jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
80-100ml chicken broth
3-4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, can use avocado oil for a healthier approach
1 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
*For kids, you can also make a nonspicy version by replacing green chiles with more bell peppers.
Utensils & equipment
1 large skillet or saucepan
Blender
Rubber spatula
Containers for salsa verde and shredded chicken
Baking dish
Oven mitts
Oven
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180-200 degrees Celsius.
Heat the pan on medium-high for about a minute, pour in the oil, and heat for another minute.
While the pan is heating, blend all the salsa verde ingredients until it’s a smooth puree.
Bring your shredded chicken to room temperature, and have it ready to assemble.
When oil is hot, pour in salsa mixture from the blender top – rinse the blender top with some drinkable water, you don’t want to waste anything that’s left behind – and bring to a boil. Stir and turn down heat to let it simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes. The salsa should sizzle when poured in the pan, or else your pan is not hot enough. But be careful when pouring in the mixture, make sure your children are not around, it may splash! And wear an apron at all times.
After 8 to 10 minutes your sauce should begin to thicken. Add in the heavy cream and turn up the heat. Stir for another 3 to 5 minutes, and season with salt to taste. Remember: the tomatillos have been in a brine, so it’s actually salted, therefore you should not season the sauce until the end, as you may not need to add much.
Once the sauce is done, pour it into a container. Have your chicken, cheese, and baking dish on the side, ready to assemble. Conversely, you may also let the sauce chill, refrigerating until use.
Scoop 1 ladle of salsa verde into the baking dish covering its bottom. Fill one tortilla with chicken, roll it up and place it into the baking dish. Repeat this step with the tortilla and chicken until baking dish is filled. Ladle more sauce on the top, covering all the enchiladas. You may put the cheese on at this step if your sauce is warm and the chicken is at room temperature. If everything came out of your fridge then bake at a lower temperature for a few minutes longer.
Place the assembled baking dish in the middle rack of your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn up to 250 degrees (broiler mode). Sprinkle the cheese over the enchiladas and put it on the top rack for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly, melted, and caramelized!
Use oven mitts to take out the baking dish, and be sure to place it on a rack or a towel so it doesn’t burn your expensive wooden table!
Pebbles Courtyard
74 Wudaoying Hutong Dongcheng District
东城区 五道营胡同74号
Phone: 8404 0767
KEEP READING: 22 Things That Beijing Expats Are Wishing for in 2022
Images: Ray Yue Heng
