Shrimp Enchiladas on Black Bean Sauce
A new take on a Southwestern standard, this recipe combines shrimp and papaya, avocados and tomatillos, and serves up the enchiladas on a bed of black bean sauce, garnished with brightly colored mango puree.
Ingredients
- Ancho Puree
- Ancho Chilies - 5 to 6
- Warm Water - 1 cup
- Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa
- Avocados - 2 large, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- Green Onion - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Red Bell Pepper - 1 teaspoon 1/4-inch-dice
- Green Bell Pepper - 1 teaspoon 1/4-inch-dice
- Tomatillos - 4, husked and diced
- Garlic Clove - 1, minced
- Cilantro Leaves - 2 tablespoons, fresh, chopped
- Serrano Chilies - 2, seeded and minced
- Lime Juice - 2 teaspoons, fresh
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Salt to taste
- Black Bean Sauce
- Chicken Stock - 1 cup
- Black Beans - 1/2 cup, cooked
- Serrano Chilies - 3, seeded
- Garlic Cloves - 2, chopped
- Tomatillo - 1-1/2 tablespoons, chopped, fresh
- Cilantro - 1 tablespoon, chopped, fresh
- Onion - 2 teaspoons, chopped
- Green Bell Pepper - 2 teaspoons, chopped
- Lime Juice - 1 teaspoon, fresh
- Salt to taste
- Shrimp Filling
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Onions - 2 large, minced (about 2 cups)
- Garlic - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Shrimp - 2 pounds, medium, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- Poblano Chilies - 4, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
- Cilantro - 3 tablespoons, minced, fresh
- Papaya - 1, peeled, seeded, and diced
- Ancho Puree (above) - 1/4 cup
- Chihuahua Cheese - 1-3/4 cups (7 ounces) (alt. Monterey Jack cheese)
- Canola oil - 1 cup, for frying tortillas
- Tortillas - 12 corn
- Chihuahua Cheese - 1-3/4 cups (7 ounces) (alt. Monterey Jack cheese)
- Mango Puree
- Ripe Mangoes - 2, peeled, pitted, and diced
- Scotch Bonnet (habanero) - 1/2 chili, seeded and deribbed
- Garnish
- Tomato - 1 large, peeled, seeded, and diced
- Green Onions - 3, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Instructions
To make the ancho puree: Preheat the oven to 250 F. Place the chilies on a baking sheet and roast until they are crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove the stem and seeds from the chilies, cover with the warm water, and allow to soak until they are soft, about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth and set aside. Place the peppers in a blender and puree, adding a small amount of the strained liquid to form a thick puree. Set the puree aside and reserve the remaining strained liquid.
To make the salsa: In a large bowl, combine the avocado, green onions, bell peppers, and half of the diced tomatillos. Set aside. In a blender, combine the garlic, cilantro, serranos, lime juice, and remaining tomatillos and puree until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil. Pour the puree over the avocado mixture, toss to combine, and season with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
To make the black bean sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the stock, beans, serranos, garlic, tomatillo, cilantro, onion, and bell pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the bean mixture in a blender and puree for 1 minute, adding just enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make a smooth sauce. Season the sauce with lime juice and salt and set aside. Keep warm or reheat gently before serving.
To make the filling: In a medium saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and salt, and cook until the shrimp turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the poblanos, cilantro, papaya, and ancho puree. Stir gently, remove from heat, and add the cheese. Stir lightly to melt the cheese. Set aside.
To make the enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it reaches 375 F, or until almost smoking. Dip the tortillas in the hot oil one at a time, turning once, just until they are softened, about 15 seconds. Drain on paper towels.
Place a tortilla on a work surface, spoon 1/4 cup filling down the center, and roll the tortilla tightly, leaving both ends open. Place the rolled tortilla in a baking pan or dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Thin the remaining ancho puree with 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid and brush the tortillas with it. Sprinkle the top with the remaining grated cheese, cover the baking pan with aluminum foil, and bake until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
To make the mango puree: In a blender, blend the mango with the chili until smooth. Place in a squeeze bottle.
To serve: Pool some black bean sauce on each serving plate. Place two enchiladas on each plate and sprinkle with some of the diced tomato and green onions. Spoon avocado salsa over the enchiladas and dot the plate with mango puree. Garnish with a little more diced tomato and green onion.
