The Best Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 3 poblano peppers
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
• 2 Serrano peppers
• 3 medium cloves garlic
• 2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup loosely packed picked fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, plus chopped cilantro for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds bone in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 16 soft corn tortillas
• 8 ounces shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
• 1 cup Mexican-style crema, divided

Directions

1. Set the broiler rack 8 inches from the heat source, then heat the broiler to high. Arrange the poblanos, onion, tomatillos, serranos, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Broil the vegetables, turning them now and then, until the tomatillos are very soft with a little char, about 10 minutes. Move the tomatillos to a bowl. Keep broiling until the poblanos are blackened all over, about 2 minutes longer, then put them in another bowl and seal the top tightly with foil. Continue broiling the onion, Serranos, and garlic until they are tender and charred, about 5 minutes longer. Add them to the tomatillos, including any juices, and set the bowl aside.
2. Move the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour the chicken stock into the bowl with the poblanos, then peel the poblanos under the stock. Add the poblano flesh to the bowl with the tomatillos, keeping the skins and seeds in the stock. Pour the stock through a fine mesh strainer into the tomatillo and pepper mixture. Throw away the skins and seeds. Stir in the cilantro and set the mixture aside.
3. Sprinkle the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Place the chicken in the pot skin side-down and let it brown undisturbed on that side, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until the other side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Move the chicken to a bowl, then pour off the extra fat from the Dutch oven while saving any browned liquid.
4. Pour the tomatillo and pepper mixture into the Dutch oven, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits. Puree it with an immersion blender, leaving the sauce a little chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put the chicken back in the pot, bring the sauce to a simmer, cover with the lid slightly askew, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. While it cooks, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and warm them in the oven.
5. Once the chicken is done, take the pot off the heat and use tongs to move the chicken to a large bowl. Let it sit until it is cool enough to handle. Pull the chicken into thin shreds, removing the skin and bones. Mix 1 cup of sauce, half of the cheese, and half of the Mexican crema into the chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Take the tortillas out of the oven and open the foil. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch casserole dish. Dip the tortillas into the remaining sauce and pile them on a cutting board. One at a time, spoon 2 tablespoons of chicken filling down the center of a tortilla and roll it snugly. Set it in the casserole dish seam side-down. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and filling; the dish will be very full.
7. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas, then arrange the remaining cheese in a strip down the center of each row. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take off the foil and bake until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned, about 10 minutes longer.
8. Take the enchiladas out of the oven, drizzle with the remaining crema, scatter chopped cilantro over the top, and serve right away.