|
the goods
1-2 boxes of no-boil lasagne noodles
Sweet Potato layer: 2 large / 4 medium sweet potatoes fresh cilantro / coriander 1 bulb garlic 1 tspn each powdered achiote and pasilla chillies (substitute with smoked paprika) 1/2 tspn each cayenne pepper and cinnamon salt and pepper 2 tspns brown sugar 2 oz grated cotija cheese 2 tblspns crema / sour cream Tomatillo Chicken Sauce: 20-24 medium tomatilloes, husks removed 4-5 pasilla chillies 2-4 jalapeno chillies flesh from 1 cooked chicken, chopped 1 onion, peeled and diced olive oil 1 cup chicken stock fistful fresh cilantro, chopped 1 lime 1 tspn pasilla chili powder
salt 1 tspn brown sugar Topping: 1 1/2 cups crema / sour cream
4 oz / 110g cotija cheese, grated
6 oz pepperjack cheese, grated
you will need:
serve with:
|
|||
|
Delores Del'asagna, the south of the border lasagna This one came to me out of the blue. I was making two other lasagnas and the idea popped into my head to make one flavoured with Mexican ingredients.
And wouldn't you know, it was the surprise winner of
the Lovebite Lasagnarama. It was the first empty dish
of the evening! (Primarily because a pregnant woman
stole the leftovers, but we won't name names) It was very simple, largely because I had all of the ingredients at hand and the oven was already on. Here's how to make it: Heat the oven to 400f / 200c Place the pasilla and jalapeno chillies and the tomatilloes on a tray lined with foil, Drizzle some olive oil over the lot and bake them for about 45 mins until the tomatilloes are browned and yielding and the chillies are blackened and blistered. Pop the tomatilloes in a bowl with any collected juices. Place the Pasilla and Jalapeno chillies in another bowl and cover with cling film whilst they are still hot (this will make them easier to peel later). Meanwhile lop enough off the top of a full head of garlic to expose the tips of the cloves. Place the garlic on a small sheet of foil and drizzle a little oil over it. Scrunch the foil to enclose the garlic. Place it on a tray with the sweet potatoes and bake them on the rack below the tomatillos and peppers. They will need to bake about 1 hour until the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. (this can all be done the day ahead) Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or pot, add the onion. Cook over a medium heat. Do not let brown; it should soften and turn opaque. Remove the tough stems from the tomatilloes and jalapenos, chop or blend them and add them (and their juices) to the skillet with the onions. Add the flesh from a cooked chicken. I use one that I have previously boiled for stock; I remove the skin and chop the flesh. You could also use leftover grilled chicken or a store bought rotisserie chicken. I like the way a boiled chicken falls into a shredded heap all by itself. You need about 4 cups of chicken.
Peel the skin
from the pasilla chillies, remove the stems and seeds
and discard. Chop the flesh and add, with any juice, to
the skillet.
Add a fistful
of chopped cilantro, a teaspoon of powdered
pasilla chili, (or 1 tspn of cayenne / chili if
pasilla is not available), the juice from 1 lime and a
teaspoon of brown sugar. You can add up to one cup of
chicken stock if the tomatillos were not juicy enough.
Bring to a gentle simmer.Taste and add salt if
necessary. This sauce should be tangy and tart so that
it contrasts with the sweet potato layer. Meanwhile peel the sweet potatoes and place the flesh into a mixing bowl. Squeeze the roasted flesh from the garlic into the bowl and discard the garlic peel. Add a fistful of chopped cilantro, 1 tspn each powdered pasilla and achiote chili (or substitute 2 tspsns smoked paprika), 1/2 tspn each cayenne and cinnamon, 1 tspn salt, 2 tspns brown sugar and 2 tblspns crema / sour cream. Mash or blend until combined. For a sharper flavour add about 2 oz / 55g of grated cotija cheese (feta would be a substitute) Putting it together: Spoon a cup of the sweet potato into the bottom of a large baking pan, add 1/4 cup of water to thin it out. Spread it across the bottom of the pan. Cover with a single layer of lasagne noodles. You might need to break some in half to completely cover the surface of the dish. Spoon half of the chicken tomatillo sauce over the pasta. Cover with another layer of pasta sheets. Spoon half of the sweet potato mix over the pasta. Repeat to make another layer of each sauce and top it off with one final layer of pasta sheets. Cover with the grated pepper jack and cotija cheeses, then spread 1 1/2 cups of crema / sour cream over the top and spread the mix to completely cover the surface of the lasagne. Bake at 375f / 180c for about an hour until the melted cheese has formed a golden brown crust.
Serve with
lashings of fresh guacamole!
|
||||
