Enchiladas Verdes

Place chicken pieces in a pot with half the onion, a pinch of salt, and enough cold water to cover by 3cm. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat — never a rolling boil, which toughens the meat. Skim any foam that rises. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove and let cool enough to handle, then shred into long, fine strands. Reserve the poaching liquid.

Place tomatillos, serrano chiles, and the remaining onion quarters on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 15cm under the broiler for 8-10 minutes, turning once, until the tomatillos are blistered and charred in spots. The skins will split and release their juices. Alternatively, char directly over a gas flame with tongs. The charring is essential — it tempers the raw tartness and adds smokiness.

Transfer the roasted tomatillos, chiles, onion, and all their juices to a blender. Add the fresh cilantro and 100ml of the reserved chicken poaching liquid. Blend on high for 60 seconds until smooth. Taste: it should be bright, tangy, smoky, and mildly spicy. Adjust salt. The sauce will be thin — this is correct; it will thicken in the oven.

Preheat oven to 190°C. Briefly fry each corn tortilla in 1cm of hot oil for 5-10 seconds per side until softened and pliable (not crispy). Drain on paper towels. Dip each tortilla in the salsa verde to coat both sides. Place 40g of shredded chicken in the center, roll firmly, and place seam-side down in a baking dish. Pour remaining salsa verde over the top. Bake for 15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Drizzle with crema and crumble queso fresco over the top before serving.