Cuauhtemoc’s Tortilla Pie

* If you have day-old tortillas on hand, this recipe is a good way to use
them. Serve it as a dinner main course or as a light lunch.

** Soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and drained

*** Thick Sour Cream: Stir 2 tablespoons sour cream, buttermilk or plain
yogurt into 1 cup heavy cream, cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a
warm place until thickened, 8~24 hours. Stir and refrigerate. It will keep
for up to 1 week. It will have better flavor if it is allowed to age in the
refrigerator for several days. If you do not have time to prepare thick
sour cream, use regular sour cream.

Directions:

Cut the roasted poblanos into long, thin strips.

Place the chicken in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil,
reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes
Drain well and let cool. Bone and skin the chicken, then, using your
fingers or 2 forks, shred the meat. Set aside.

Preheat an oven to 400F.

Cut off the dry edges from the tortillas, leaving the tortillas round. In a
frying pan over high heat, pour in oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. When the oil
is hot, add the tortillas, one at a time, and fry, turning once, until
soft, about 5 seconds on each side. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels
to drain.

In a blender or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine
the refried beans, cumin, water, salt and the soaked ancho chili. Process
to form a smooth puree.

Spoon enough of the puree into a 9-by-12-by-3-inch baking dish to cover the
bottom. Layer half of the tortillas in the dish. Spoon half of the
remaining puree over the top, then layer half each of the chicken, poblano
chili strips and cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with cheese. Bake until
the cheese melts and the pie is bubbling, about 25 minutes.

Let stand for 15-20 minutes, to allow the pie to settle before serving.
Cover with the cream, cut into squares and serve.

Serves 6 to 8