Seafood Enchiladas

Photo: flickr user scaredy_kat

Ingredients

3 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

2 lobster tails - (1/2 lb ea) thawed if frozen

pound deveined peeled raw shrimp - (31/40 ct) thawed if frozen

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 onion - (1/2 lb) peeled, chopped

1 garlic clove peeled, and

minced or pressed

pound mushrooms rinsed, drained,

and thinly sliced

cup all-purpose flour

cup brandy (optional)

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

1 can green enchilada sauce - (19 oz)

1 can diced green chilies - (7 oz)

12 corn tortillas - (6" dia)

3 cups shredded jack cheese - (¾ lb)

1 cup diced tomatoes

cup thinly-sliced green onions including tops

Preparation

In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add lobster tails and return to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until lobster is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut through shell to test), 8 to 10 minutes. Lift tails from broth and let cool.

Return broth to a boil over high heat. Cut shrimp into 1-inch lengths. Add shrimp to pan, cover, reduce heat, and simmer just until shrimp is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift shrimp from broth and let cool. Reserve broth.

With kitchen shears, cut through tops of lobster shells lengthwise down the center. Set tails, cut-sides up, on a board. With a large knife, slice tails in half lengthwise through cuts. Pull out meat; cut into 1-inch chunks.

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms; stir often until onion is limp and mushrooms are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir until evenly coated. Whisk in 2 cups reserved broth (reserve remainder) and the brandy, and stir until mixture boils. Add lobster and shrimp. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a blender or food processor, whirl 1 more cup reserved broth (save remainder for other uses or discard) with enchilada sauce and chilies. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.

Stack 6 tortillas and put in a microwave-safe plastic bag but do not seal. Heat in a microwave oven on full power (100%%) until tortillas are hot and pliable, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Dip tortillas, 1 at a time, in sauce mixture to coat. Lay each tortilla flat and spread about 1/3 cup seafood filling down the center; roll to enclose. Set filled tortillas, seam down, in a single layer in a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish.

Heat remaining 6 tortillas, dip in sauce, fill, and roll. Arrange in another shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. Pour remaining sauce mixture evenly over enchiladas. Sprinkle cheese evenly over each dish.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until enchiladas are hot in the center, about 25 minutes (about 20 minutes in a convection oven). Sprinkle a band of tomatoes, then green onions, down center of each dish. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe yields 12 enchiladas; 12 first-course or side-dish servings.

Comments: For a less extravagant version, omit the lobster tails and add 1 more pound shrimp. If desired, omit brandy and add 1/3 cup more seafood-cooking broth in step 4. Buy tortillas that are as fresh as possible (cracking is a sign of age). Assemble enchiladas through step 7 up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes; uncover and continue baking until hot in the center, about 10 minutes longer.