Crisp Chicken Flautas

Cooking Instructions

Make the filling: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring until translucent but not browned about 4 minutes. Add the jalapeño and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato(es) with liquid and season lightly with salt. Add the bay leaves chipotle puree sugar oregano and thyme. Bring to a boil and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is lightly thickened about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken. The filling should be moist but not wet; if necessary increase the heat to high and boil off a little of the liquid. Season to taste with salt. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature then discard the bay leaves.

Fill the tortillas: Wrap the tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Let stand for a minute or two.

Place about two tablespoons filling in the center of a tortilla. Fold one edge of the tortilla over the filling and then with your finger tips pull the edge of the tortilla folded over the filling away from the center spreading the filling to the edges and making a neat compact shape of it. Then roll up the tortilla into a tight roll. Fill and roll another tortilla then place the 2 flautas side by side with their loose edges touching the center. Pass 2 toothpicks through the center of the flautas to hold them together and keep them from coming undone during frying. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. The flautas can be formed up to several hours before cooking. Refrigerate them in a covered container until needed. (The remaining ingredients- lettuce salsas and cheese- can be prepared in advance as well.)

Cook the Flautas: If you want to keep the first round of flautas hot while preparing the second round preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a shallow bowl with a double thickness of paper towels. Heat ¼ cup of oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until the end of one of the flautas dipped into the oil gives off a lovely sizzle. Carefully lay 2 pairs of flautas in the oil. Cook until the underside is lightly browned and crisp about 3 minutes. Carefully turn them and cook the second side. Remove to the paper-towel-lined bowl to drain. (During frying oil can seep into the center of the flautas; draining them on an angle in a shallow bowl is a great way to remove excessive oil.) Repeat with the remaining flautas keeping the first batch hot on a baking sheet in the oven if you like.

To serve line four salad plates with the shredded lettuce. Top each with the 2 flautas and remove the toothpicks. Spoon on enough of the salsa of your choice to coat the flautas lightly. (Or if using both salsas spoon over one flautas on each plate). Drizzle the flautas liberally with crema in a zigzag pattern and sprinkle with the cheese. (If some of the crema and cheese ends up on the lettuce so much the better.) Serve hot.