Baked Chicken Flautas

Baked Chicken Flautas

This is the best Mexican dinner we’ve had at home in years.  This all started as a repeat effort to make chicken stock at home.  I made homemade stock in the past, but become convinced it wasn’t worth the effort.  The passage of time and subzero temperatures prompted me to try it again.  This time, I did not want to waste the chicken.  Thus, the following occurred this cold, Sunday afternoon on NFL playoff day:  (1) three quarts of decent home-made stock, and (2) an incredibly decent dinner for 2 (plus leftovers) of chicken flautas.  I plan to make this again and again. 

 

Stock

1 package of chicken pieces, pre-cut up (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 wings and 2 legs), washed.

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped (pretty big pieces, like 4)
Celery, the inside three ribs or so, with leaves, roughly chopped
Tsp of peppercorns
Tsp of salt
Sprig of fresh flat-leaf parsley
Water, enough to cover everything up

Place everything in a large stock pot.  Bring to a near-boil on medium high heat.  Skim off foamy scum.  Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl with a spout and ladle the foamy scum over the strainer.  Get rid of the scum, rinse the strainer and repeat.  Do not let come to a rolling boil.  Once most of the scum is gone, reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 35 minutes.  Remove the breasts and thighs.  Remove the skin, take off the good meat and set aside, and return the bones to the pot.  Simmer for at least another hour (or more).  Using the strainer over the bowl, ladle the stock over the strainer and dump all the solids.  Pour the stock into tall plastic quart containers.  Let cool.  Stick in the fridge overnight and remove the congealed fat from the surface the next day. 

Save the chicken for the flautas.

Red Sauce

½ Shallot, minced
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Penzey’s Sunny Spain
1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes. 

Heat oil over medium heat in a sauce pan.  Add shallot and sauté for a few minutes until soft.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper, a palmful of cumin and a few shakes of the Sunny Spain.  Stir together to a consistency similar to a roux.  Add the tomatoes.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for a least a half hour, uncovered.  Longer is good.  This was such a nice red sauce that the next time I will double or triple this and freeze some and serve with anything and everything. 

Salted Vinegar Radishes

Radishes

Salt
White balsamic vinegar

Slice radishes into matchsticks.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Add a swig of vinegar.  Let stand.

 Flautas

8 flour tortillas
Reserved Chicken
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Cheddar Cheese (about a cup)
String cheese
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375.  Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towel, then wrap in a kitchen towel.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Shred chicken with fingers and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cumin.  Build flautas:  Place about a palmful of chicken on a tortilla.  Sprinkle with cheddar and a few strings of string cheese.  Spread mixture in a line across the middle of the tortilla, then pull the mixture down the tortilla toward the bottom third. Roll the tortilla tightly, about the circumference of a flute, pressing so that the filling and tortilla are compact and the filling spreads nearly the full length of the roll.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat.  Let the flautas rest for 10 minutes or more (to accept their shape).  Spray with cooking spray on each side of each flauta.  Bake in over for 20 minutes.  Turn each flauta.  Bake for 10 minutes more.  Flautas should be crisp and browned. 

Serve with the red sauce and salted vinegar radishes.  We also had refried beans (topped with some more radishes) and a green salad with carrots and pepitas.

 

Note:  This recipe included no migraine trigger foods or Mark's trigger foods (garlic, peppers, etc.)  We are such sallys.