This homemade enchilada sauce made of dried New Mexico chilies has bold, beautiful flavors and it's so good, you'll never buy canned enchilada sauce again.
½cupchili puree(recipe to follow) (SEE RECIPE NOTES)
2cupsvegetable stock(you could use chicken stock if preferred)
10ouncestomato paste
1teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoonground cumin
½teaspoonsea salt
Instructions
The Chili Puree
When handling chilies put on a pair of rubber gloves.
You can skip this step if you like heat. If not, open up the chili lengthwise with kitchen scissors, then remove the stems, seeds and any light-colored veins inside the chilies. This step will remove most of the heat from the fruit. If you like spicy food, set aside some of the seeds to add a little extra heat. You can add a lot or just a little of the seeds to make things hotter.
Toast the chilies in a dry pan or skillet for 30 to 40 seconds on each side.
Place the chilies into a bowl and soak the chilies in very hot water for about 30 minutes.
If the chilies float too much use a clean heavy object to hold them down into the hot water. This will ensure that both sides of the chili become pliable.
Remove the chilies from the soaking water. Ensure that stems are removed and add the chilies plus some of the soaking water to a blender and puree. Make a half cup of chili sauce by adding a little of the soaking water at a time.
Pour the puree into a sieve. Using the back of a spoon stir and push the liquid through to strain the puree. This will catch any large bits of skin or seeds that did not grind up. You should now have ½ cup of chili puree to make your enchilada sauce.
The Enchilada Sauce
In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute.
Add chili puree and cook for 30 seconds.
Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
Notes
Method Substitution: If you are in a time crunch use ¼ cup of the chili powder in place of the chili puree. This is a delicious time-saving alternative.Yield: 2 ½ cups of enchilada sauce
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