Chicken Enchiladas Rojas

Method

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1. 1Simmer the chicken in lightly salted water to cover for 20 minutes until fully cooked. Shred it and reserve 480 ml (2 cups) of the poaching liquid.
2. 2If using dried chiles, remove the stems and seeds and toast them in a dry pan for 15-20 seconds per side until fragrant; don't let them burn or they turn bitter. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes until soft.
3. 3Blend the drained chiles (or the paprika mixture), tomatoes, half the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and 240 ml of the poaching liquid until completely smooth.
4. 4Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan and pour in the sauce, carefully, as it will spatter. Add the remaining liquid and the salt and simmer over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, until darker and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. 5Stir 4-5 tbsp of the sauce into the shredded chicken to moisten it. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
6. 6Heat the remaining oil in a small pan. Dip each corn tortilla in the hot oil for about 5 seconds per side to soften, then dip it in the sauce (skip the oil step for flour tortillas).
7. 7Fill each sauced tortilla with chicken, roll it up and place it seam side down in a baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top.
8. 8Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbling at the edges. Finish with crumbled cheese, chopped onion, crema and cilantro, and serve hot.