Chilaquiles

DIRECTIONS:

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 cup of oil. Working in batches, fry tortilla segments until crisp, about 2 minutes per batch, letting them drain on paper towels as they are done. Discard oil, then wipe out skillet and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, add tomatoes, jalapeños and garlic. Reserve 1/4 cup onions for garnish and add half of remaining onions to pot. Fill pot with water and boil over medium-high heat until tomatoes are very soft, about 20 minutes.

Add half of cilantro and cook for 1 minute more. Drain tomato mixture in a colander. Peel and core tomatoes and stem jalapeños (for a milder sauce, remove and discard seeds), then put into a blender. Add cooked garlic, onions, and cilantro and purée until sauce is smooth.

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm remaining 1/2 cup oil. Add remaining half of onions, still reserving ¼ cup onions and chorizo and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato-jalapeño mixture and, if using, chicken bouillon, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Add tortillas and chicken, stirring and turning in sauce until well coated. Simmer until tortillas are tender and chewy, about 3 minutes.

Transfer chilaquiles to a warm serving platter, top with crema and cotija cheese, and garnish with remaining 1/2 bunch cilantro and reserved 1/4 cup onions. Serve hot.

Adapted from Saveur magazine, 2005