On 04/03/2014 09:19 AM, Steve Freides wrote:
> My wife, inspired by the chicken enchiladas verde we had a few days ago,
> asked me to pick up some corn tortillas. We were lacking quite a few of
> the ingredients so the dish she created wasn't the same as the one we
> had from the restaurant, but they were chicken enchiladas, nonetheless.
>
> The problem was in getting the corn tortillas to wrap around the filling
> without cracking. I suggested that next time we might microwave them
> after sprinkling them with a little water, or steam them on a rack over
> a pot of boiling water. Am I headed in the right direction here, or is
> there some sort of special corn tortilla one needs for enchiladas? I
> bought the only soft corn tortillas they had a WF yesterday.
>
> Thanks.
>
> -S-

My preference is to briefly heat the corn tortillas in light oil, such
as Canola or safflower. Dipping in hot enchilada sauce softens them all
right, but leaves them mushy, to my taste. It doesn't take long to heat
them in oil, maybe 4 seconds per side. They will sizzle and start to
blister.

You don't need special tortillas. The soft corn tortillas are part wheat
flour, so you probably don't want to use them, except for soft tacos,
maybe, or wraps.

One other alternative is not to roll the enchiladas at all. Layered or
stacked enchiladas, especially popular in New Mexico, are entirely
legitimate. A layer of corn tortillas straight from the bag, a layer of
filling, another layer of tortillas and filling and a third layer of
both, all topped with shredded cheese and enchilada sauce, then baked.
Easy peasy.