This enchilada is chile-free, even though the "chil" in enchilada means it should have them.
You say it doesn't look like an enchilada? You're right, if you think all enchiladas are rolled stuffed tortillas covered with chile sauce.
That's a Mexican enchilada. This is a Salvadoran enchilada, from Golfo de Fonseca on West 6th Street in Los Angeles.
It's open faced, like a tostada. But there's no tortilla underneath. The base is a fried circle of fresh masa.
The topping is shredded chicken that has been cooked with tomato, onion, bell pepper and finely diced carrot and potato.
Instead of lettuce, the chicken is covered with shredded cabbage seasoned with vinegar, like the cabbage you get with a Salvadoran pupusa. Diced cucumber and radishes add crunchy freshness. The cheese is cotija.
One time, a different cook made the enchilada, adding big cubes of queso frsco. To make me a liar, she tucked a sliver of pickled jalapeno into the cabbage.
But the next time, the woman behind the counter insisted that Salvadorans do not use chiles in their enchiladas.
Salvadoran enchiladas are $3 each at Golfo de Fonseca, 1618 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Tel: (213) 483-7245
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