Lemon cream sauce gives Taqueria Del Sol enchiladas delicate flavor

A: Always happy to accommodate their customers, chef Eddie Hernandez provided the recipe for the enchiladas and their sauce.

These enchiladas take a little time to make, but there’s nothing difficult about them and they can be prepared in stages with just the final heating to do before serving.

Cutting the chicken into quarters is a nice trick that speeds up the cooking of the chicken for the filling. Your bonus for making this dish? A little extra homemade chicken stock for the freezer.

Taqueria del Sol’s Chicken Enchiladas with Lemon Cream Sauce

8 cups cold water

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into quarters

2 ribs celery, roughly chopped

1 small carrot, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning

2 tablespoons margarine (or equal parts butter and vegetable oil)

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 bay leaf

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

Vegetable oil for heating tortillas

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

3 cups Lemon Cream Sauce (see recipe)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey jack cheese

1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos

In a large stockpot, combine water with chicken, celery, carrot and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until chicken is just cooked through, about 35 minutes. Do not overcook as the chicken will be cooked again.

Remove chicken from cooking liquid and allow to cool. Return stock to a boil. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and return them to the stockpot. Cook stock 20 minutes longer. Remove from heat, strain stock and refrigerate. Discard skin, bones and vegetables. May be prepared up to one day in advance. You will use 3 cups in Lemon Cream Sauce recipe. Remainder can be reserved for another use.

While stock is cooking, shred cooked chicken. Set aside. Can be prepared up to one day in advance and refrigerated.

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, melt margarine over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off. Stir in reserved chicken and season to taste. Discard bay leaf.

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom. Place 1 tortilla in the oil. Cook until the tortilla begins to bubble, about 30 seconds. Use tongs to gently turn the tortilla. Heat another 30 seconds and lift the tortilla and place on a few paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, adding vegetable oil as necessary to the skillet and layering the tortillas on paper towels to drain.

Place about 1/2 cup chicken filling in the center of each tortilla. Roll tightly and place seam side down in prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, arranging tightly in the dish so they all fit. Cover with Lemon Cream Sauce, then sprinkle top evenly with cheese. Bake until bubbly and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

To serve, divide enchiladas between serving plates. Serve with pickled jalapenos. Makes: 12 enchiladas

Per enchilada, including Lemon Cream Sauce: 340 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 23 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 21 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 73 milligrams cholesterol, 651 milligrams sodium.

Taqueria del Sol’s Lemon Cream Sauce

3 cups chicken stock

Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sour cream

Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock and lemon juice to a boil.

In a small bowl, stir butter and flour together to make a smooth paste. Stir butter-flour mixture into hot stock, spoonful by spoonful, and simmer until the stock is very thick. You may not need all the butter-flour mixture.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in sour cream. Season to taste. May be made up to 2 days ahead and gently reheated before using. Makes: 4 1/4 cups

Per 1/4-cup serving: 83 calories (percent of calories from fat, 74), 3 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 7 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 14 milligrams cholesterol, 26 milligrams sodium.