Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

New Year's Day 2024. Quiet beginning. Eduardo and I had the lentils at midnight. The twelve grapes. The FaceTime with all the children at 12:05. Mami on her phone, held up by Carmen the aide, blowing a kiss to the screen. Miguel Jr. and Jenny at their house. Rosa in New Haven with Carlos and Camila. Sofía at her apartment. David in Brooklyn — on a break from his restaurant, he had five minutes between the last seating and cleanup. Everyone gave each other a little "Feliz año." Everyone blew kisses through the phone. It was five minutes. Then we hung up.

Sunday I made arroz con pollo. Small pot. Just me and Eduardo. Mami had a headache and stayed home. The house was quiet. Eduardo read the paper. I wrote in volume two of the notebook — I bought it at the drugstore on Saturday, another composition notebook, same black-and-white, because consistency matters — and I wrote down the first recipe: bacalaítos. I had not included them in volume one because the deep-fry intimidates some of my family and I wanted them later, for readers who had earned them. Volume two is for the harder recipes, the ones that require technique. Bacalaítos is page one of hard.

At 3 PM Sofía dropped by with a bag of bagels from the place on Farmington Avenue where she stops every Sunday. She ate a bowl of arroz. She said, "Ma, the notebook. When you die, can I have it? Not you dying. I mean years from now. The notebook." I said, "Yes, mija. You and your sister and your brothers will each get a copy." She said, "The original." I said, "Sofía. The original is in this house. It stays here." She said, "When you die it leaves. I want the original." I laughed. I said, "Mija, why?" She said, "Because I am the nurse. I am the one who will feed everyone in the future the way you fed everyone. I should have the hands."

I thought about it for a while. I said, "Sofía, I will leave you the original. But you must make copies." She said, "Yes." She said, "Ma, I love you." She hugged me. She ate another bowl of arroz. She went home.

Eduardo from the other room said, "Carmen, did Sofía just ask for the notebook?" I said, "Yes." He said, "You gave it to her?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Good. She is the one." I said, "I know." 2024. New year. The notebook has a destination. The chain has another link. Wepa.

Volume two of the notebook is for the harder recipes — the ones that require technique, the ones you have to earn. This Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce is exactly that kind of recipe: the kind built from dried chiles and patience, the kind Sofía will someday make with her own hands for her own family. I wrote it down right after the bacalaítos, because a sauce this honest deserves a place near the beginning. It pairs beautifully over rice, over chicken, over whatever quiet Sunday you are trying to hold onto a little longer.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6 (about 2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Toast the chiles. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the dried ancho and guajillo chiles and press them flat with a spatula. Toast for 30–45 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darkened. Do not let them scorch.
Soak the chiles. Transfer toasted chiles to a bowl and pour 1 cup of the hot chicken broth over them. Weigh them down with a small plate if needed. Let soak for 10 minutes until softened.
Sauté the aromatics. While chiles soak, warm olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add spices and tomato paste. Stir in the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to bloom the spices in the oil.
Blend the sauce. Transfer the soaked chiles and their soaking broth to a blender. Add the sautéed onion-garlic mixture and the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth. Blend on high for 60 seconds until completely smooth.
Strain and simmer. Pour the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer back into the saucepan, pressing the solids through with a spoon. Discard any tough skins left in the strainer. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
Finish and season. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavor deepens. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Use immediately or refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to one week.

Nutrition (per serving)

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce — The Recipe That Earns Its Place in the Notebook