Cheese or Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce. ©Priscilla Willis
Take a Cooking Class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking
Get a taste of New Mexico and explore New Mexican cuisine, and the difference between Mexican and New Mexican food, I highly recommend taking a cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. You will not be disappointed! During a class, you will learn about the local ingredients (chiles!) and how to prepare them from the school’s engaging professional chefs, watch the chefs in action, learn shortcuts and useful cooking tips, and enjoy an array of uniquely New Mexican dishes in a stylish and comfortable demonstration kitchen.
Chefs Noe Cano and Jen Doughty and assistant. ©Priscilla Willis
Focusing on New Mexican Cuisine at the Santa Fe School of Cooking
A homegrown success story, the Santa Fe School of Cooking recently celebrated 30 years of spreading the ethos of a sustainable lifestyle and the culinary traditions of New Mexico. Founder, Susan Curtis has good food in her blood—the seeds of which were planted in her childhood days alongside the Snake River in Idaho. Growing up with fishing, hunting, and foraging adding to the bounty of fresh garden produce and home-cured meats on the table, she raised her Santa Fe family in the same way. Fueled by a desire for a new chapter in life and her love for the traditional foods of Santa Fe, Susan founded the Santa Fe School of Cooking in 1989.
Still actively involved at the School, Susan has co-authored numerous cookbooks on the foods of New Mexico and remains deeply committed to her family, her community, and to the original philosophy of the School, to celebrate and share the distinctive techniques and flavors of regional Santa Fe cuisine.
Santa Fe School of Cooking lighting up the night.
A Santa Fe native, the School’s Director of Operations, Nicole Curtis Ammerman, has immersed herself fully in the goals laid out by her mother, Susan Curtis. Nicole’s love of family and friends drew her back home to Santa Fe in 1993, and combined with business and marketing skills she honed at the University of Arizona, her dedication to New Mexico culinary traditions has enriched the scope and abilities of Santa Fe’s original cooking school. {Santa Fe School of Cooking}
Learn About New Mexican Cuisine from Culinary Professionals
For culinary enthusiasts, walking through a cooking store is the equivalent of Disneyland. It often takes expert herding skills to corral the group to the final destination. Fortunately, on the evening of our dinner and chef demo at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, we knew we would have time to shop following the event so most of us did a quick perusal of the merchandise. Plus, most of the group was anxious to claim a desirable table with good sightlines for video and photography. The life of a blogger/writer. *sigh*
Fresh salsa and chips adorned the tables in the demo kitchen at Santa Fe School of Cooking. ©Priscilla Willis
Executive Chef Jen Doughty engaged the audience with her humor and approachable personality while sharing her knowledge of New Mexican cuisine, the primary ingredients, and the types of chiles used in New Mexican cooking. First, called the 3 Sisters: corn, beans, and chiles are what the indigenous people of New Mexico eat and are very important to New Mexicans and their cuisine. Chef Jen emphasized the importance of traditional foods to New Mexicans and how they are very stubborn about adhering to tradition. “If you have something great why mess with it”.
Hatch, Poblano, Ancho (dried Poblano), Serrano, Habanero, and Tomatillo chiles are primary ingredients in New Mexican cuisine. ©Priscilla Willis
Chef Jen talked about the characteristics of Hatch, Poblano, Ancho (dried Poblano), Serrano, Tomatillo, Habanero, and other chiles. From my years of working with Melissa’s Produce, I’m familiar with Hatch chiles and the importance of charring (or grilling) them to remove the skin and seeds before using, but many guests were not. The inside tips gleaned from culinary pros is one of the main reasons I love taking cooking classes wherever I go.
Charring chiles to remove the skin.
Differences between Mexican and New Mexican Cuisine
We learned that native New Mexican cuisine was influenced more by the Spaniards who ruled this area (not the Europeans) and brought livestock, dairy, cheese, vinegar, sugar, and sweet flavors with them. Mole sauce in New Mexico is usually red or yellow. Mole is a traditional sauce also used in Mexican cuisine where it has many iterations. The difference between Mexican enchiladas and New Mexican enchiladas is that the former are rolled while in New Mexico they are layered like a casserole.
Posole made in Changa cookware. ©Priscilla Willis
Recipe for New Mexican Enchiladas with Red or Green Chile Sauce
New Mexico-style Layered Cheese or Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce ©Priscilla Willis
These enchiladas are the real Southwestern deal with a chile sauce made from New Mexican green or red chiles. Enjoy!
- 3 cups red chile sauce recipe below
- 16 fresh corn tortillas, about 4 inches in diameter good quality store-bought may be substituted
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1-1/2 lbs Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1-1/2 cups diced onion, or sliced scallions with green tops
- 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
- 1-1/2 cups diced tomato
- 1-1/4 cups sour cream
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 2-3 tsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp All-Purpose flour
- 1/2 cup pure ground medium Chimayo or New Mexican red chile
- 2-1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin seed (optional)
- Salt to taste*
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For the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in the flour, and the ground chile. Slowly add the water, whisking to break up any lumps in the chile. Add the oregano and the cumin, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Season with salt to taste.
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The sauce may be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
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Optional seasonings: diced tomato, fresh cilantro, and/or cumin.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 9x12 baking dish or pan.
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Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the dish and layer half of the tortillas evenly over the sauce. Top the tortillas with 1/2 of the chicken and 1/3 of the cheese and sprinkle with half the onion (for milder onion flavor, use scallions). Repeat for the second layer and top with the last cup of sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.
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To serve, spoon portions onto dinner plates, garnish with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and top with 2 tablespoons sour cream. Serve with pinto beans and posole (optional).
*eliminate added salt to lower the sodium. This is not a low-sodium dish as cheese contains a substantial amount of sodium.
I encourage travelers to do two things to learn about the local cuisine wherever they may be—one is to take a cooking class, whether at a cooking school or in the home of a local and, two, to take a walking food tour. In both cases, you will learn more about the regional food and specialty ingredients than you will when dining out on your own. Additionally, you can often get tips on preparation and see the chefs in action, and, of course, you get to eat the best and freshest examples of the area’s regional cuisine.
La Chamba Black Clay Pottery Cookware at the Santa Fe School of Cooking ©Priscilla Willis
La Chamba Black Clay Pottery Cookware
You might also discover a line of cookware (and a new method of cooking) that you just have to have! The display of striking black clay cookware caught my eye as we passed through the store and became even more intrigued when I saw Chef Jen talked about the attributes of La Chamba Black Clay Pottery. Made from micacious clay, the La Chamba cookware is a unique serving and cooking line that is oven, stove top, and microwave safe. Think a stovetop crock pot—they’re great for stews, soups, and braised meats. The pots have the added benefit of being beautiful enough to go from stovetop to table for serving,
I asked Chef Jen what would be the best size for a home cook and she took the time to select the pot and come to our table to show me. SOLD! I carried it on the plane and have been enjoying cooking it it ever since. Perfect timing for my “cooking season” which is the comfort foods we love in the Fall and Winter!
Love chiles? You might also like:
Chicken Enchiladas with Hatch Chile Sauce
Savory Hatch Chile Pancakes with Candied Bacon
Easy Corn Pudding with Hatch Chiles
If you see a trip to explore the Southwest in your future, Pin the image below to your Pinterest boards.
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