This recipe combines my love for authentic Mexican food, grilling, and fresh seafood. A perfect dish to cook on a warm summer evening, with a margarita in hand. I make them with grilled shrimp and white fish, monterey jack cheese, and a tomatillo green sauce, which is light and fresh tasting, with a delicious complex spiciness. They are assembled and then baked, then topped with Mexican crema, crumbly cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, and thinly sliced red onion. Super bright and flavorful, serve with black beans and white rice for a taste of Baja in your own backyard.
Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
3/4 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 lb. firm white fish (I used sea bass)
corn tortillas
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup Mexican crema
1/4 cup cotija cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
Verde Sauce:
2 lbs tomatillos, husks removed
3 - 6 serrano peppers, depending how spicy your like, stems removed
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, skin removed
Begin by making the verde sauce:
Place the husked tomatillos and the peppers in a pot of water and bring to a boil (I use 5 peppers). Cook until the color of the tomatillos turn from a bright green to a dull green color, 5 - 10 minutes. Drain the tomatillos and peppers and place in a blender. Add the onion, garlic cloves, and a large pinch of salt, and puree until combined. Add water if necessary to get a saucy consistency. Taste and add more salt if necessary. It should be very spicy, but the heat will subside once cooked with the other ingredients. Store the sauce in the fridge, until ready to use.
Soak wooden skewers in a bowl of water for 30 minutes (to prevent them from catching fire on the grill)
Now light your grill, and prep the seafood.
Pat the shrimp and fish dry with paper towel. Brush with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Once the skewers are done soaking, place the shrimp on the skewers, threading the skewer through the head and tail of each shrimp.
When the grill is ready, place the seafood in the center over the hottest part of the coals. Stand by with tongs, the shrimp cook very fast!
After 3 minutes, flip the shrimp. Cook 2 more minutes, then remove from the grill.
Carefully, using a wide spatula, come at the fish from the side following the direction of the grill grates, and lift slightly, checking for doneness. If the fish easily detaches from the grill then it is ready to be flipped. If not, leave it alone and check again in another couple minutes. After flipping the fish, cook for a few more minutes (the second side goes much quicker) then remove.
Now place the tortillas on the grill, and cook on each side for about 1 minute, until hot and slightly charred.
Place the tomatillo sauce in a pot on the stove and bring to a simmer.
Chop the fish and shrimp into chunks.
Pour a little verde sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
Take a tortilla and place into the sauce, then top with a couple pieces of fish and shrimp. Sprinkle on some jack cheese, roll and seal tightly. Place seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat with all your ingredients until you have filled your baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Remove the enchiladas, and drizzle on the crema, then sprinkle on the cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and red onion.
