Chicken Flautas

Name: Chicken Flautas
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 1 large skin-on, bone-in chicken breast half (about 8 ounces); 2 tablespoons olive oil; Salt and freshly ground pepper; Vegetable oil; 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas; 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream; 1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce; 3 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese; 1/2 cup Grilled Corn Pico de Gallo, recipe follows; 1 ear of corn; 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped; 3/4 cup chopped onion; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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A FLAUTA IS A FLUTE, and these addictive little tacos are so named because they resemble the musical instrument. They're easy, affordable, and delicious, and there isn't a Mexican mom out there who doesn't put these on the table at least once a week. For even more ease, substitute shredded rotisserie chicken for the chicken breast in this recipe. The fun part is putting all the toppings on the table and letting everyone build his or her own flautas. Get the kiddies to add enough fresh salsa and lettuce, and you've got a balanced meal!

Yield: Serves 2

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

1 large skin-on, bone-in chicken breast half (about 8 ounces)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

3 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

1/2 cup Grilled Corn Pico de Gallo, recipe follows

Grilled Corn Pico de Gallo:

1 ear of corn

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the chicken breast on a baking sheet, skin side up. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Cool slightly. Remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred the chicken with your hands.
In a shallow medium skillet, heat enough vegetable oil to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Lay out the tortillas on a work surface. Put about 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken down the center of each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla like a cigar and secure with a toothpick. Working in batches, fry the flautas in the oil, turning once, until golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Place 3 flautas on each plate. Drizzle with crema and top with shredded iceberg lettuce, the queso fresco, and the pico de gallo.

Grilled Corn Pico de Gallo:

Yield: 3 cups

Heat a dry grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until darkened in spots, about 10 minutes. Set aside until it is cool enough to handle.
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the kernels off the cobs and add them to a medium bowl. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and serrano. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, until flavors blend. (The salsa can be made up to 4 hours ahead.)