On the menu for Cinco de Mayo:
Chicken flautas, topped with Monterey Jack (MJ) cheese and jalapeno cream
Chicken and cheese fajita quesadillas, made by my wife :)
Guacamole
Salsa bar (roasted tomatillo, raw tomatillo, mango, roasted tomato and green chile, jalapeno)
When my wife texted me the night before (while I was on my way to a Phillies game) saying 'I invited some friends over for Cinco de Mayo, thought you'd like to cook Mexican for other people,' I was excited and tormented at the same time. What to make?? Should I repeat something I've already done or try something new?
One thing was for sure, there would be guacamole and there would be salsas. Since it was a school/work night, I figured something that cooks up quickly would work best. Deep frying is quick...everyone loves fried food! So I arrived at flautas, which I believe are also called taquitos.
Flautas
12 corn tortillas
1/2 rotisserie chicken (skin removed), shredded
Flautas are simple and pretty easy to pull off the first time you make them. There is a steep learning curve, so by the time I was making them (again) at midnight the same night...they were already a little better.
To make a flauta, grab some store bought corn tortillas. You then roll up some chopped or shredded meat (chicken, pork, beef, whatever), and fry it for about 1 minute at 375 degrees. And that's it...but it's not quite that simple. First off, the tortillas need to bathe in the hot oil for just a few seconds BEFORE rolling them up with chicken. The hot oil bath will make them more pliable so they don't rip and break during the rolling process.
So, step one is to dip the tortillas in the oil, and quickly remove them to paper towels to drain. Place the filling in a line near the center and roll the tortilla up tightly. Place two WOODEN toothpicks to help the flauta hold its shape in the fryer. Fry them for 1 minute at 375 degrees with something (maybe another fryer basket) on top of them to keep them from opening. You want them to be a little crisp and just a little chewy...al dente, if you will. If you fry them for too long, they'll get too crispy and disintegrate when you eat them. Also, the longer you fry them the longer the already cooked meat is exposed to the hot oil. So get them in and out in about 1 minute and they'll be perfect.
Top them with whatever you like, cheese, guacamole, salsa. They pair up well with just about anything. I chose to melt some cheese over the top of them and squirt a mixture of jalapeno hot sauce (see last post for link to recipe), sour cream, and mayonnaise. The cream gives a nice contrast to the crispiness of the flauta and the ooziness of the melted cheese. I will definitely be making these again in the not too distant future. Maybe even tonight...
Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
12 corn (or small flour) tortillas
1/2 rotisserie chicken (skin removed), shredded
I have to give my wife a lot of credit here, she put these together in a pinch and they were really good. I had originally wanted to make RB's Mexico City style quesadillas, which like the flautas would have been deep fried. But when I mentioned the need to make fresh dough...I was quickly overruled.
Kendra put chicken, MJ cheese, and fajita seasonings on one corn tortilla, topped it with another tortilla, and baked them in the oven to melt the cheese. If you're not a fan of corn tortillas, use flour tortillas. These were so quick and easy, and so tasty...well done Kendra! And not only were they delicious, but it was actually kind of nice to have a non-crispy option at the table.
Mango Salsa
The only new salsa I created for the meal was a pureed mango salsa. This is a nice change-up from the spicier, saltier salsas I typically make. Here's a recipe for a small batch that would make a great dip or topping for grilled meats or vegetables.
1 mango
cilantro, to your preference
1 T. red onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
juice of 1/2 lime
salt, to taste
Puree the mango first, then drop in the rest of the ingredients and just pulse a few times.
I've never made a mango salsa before, but when I've eaten it, the mangoes have been diced, not pureed. When my friend tried to dice it, it just kind of fell apart, perhaps it was too ripe. The only thing that made sense was to puree it. Honestly, I think I actually prefer it this way. I highly recommend this salsa as a nice little change of pace in terms of flavors, textures, and even colors!
Great Food with Great Friends
I had a lot of help from my wife Kendra and her friend getting everything together. I like it when it's an interactive experience. And trying the flautas for the first time was fun, and a good learning experience for how to make them even better the next time. All in all it was a great time to have friends over and enjoy the delicious food that everyone helped make. That's what it's all about.
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