Equipment
Ingredients
Salsa Verde Base
- 600 g tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 2 jalapeño peppers, whole
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 30 g fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
- 120 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 g ground cumin
- 5 g salt
Filling & Assembly
- 500 g raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 15 corn tortillas
- 300 g monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 60 g cotija cheese, crumbled
- 60 ml mexican crema
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Husk and wash the tomatillos thoroughly to remove the sticky residue. Cut tomatillos in half, quarter the onion, and peel the garlic.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatillos (cut side down), onion wedges, garlic, and whole jalapeños. Pan-roast undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until deeply charred on one side, then flip and cook 3-4 minutes more until softened.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Remove stems from jalapeños (and seeds if milder sauce is desired). Add fresh cilantro, stock, cumin, and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Pour the sauce back into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in the raw, chopped shrimp. The residual heat will partially cook the shrimp (carry-over cooking) without making them rubbery before baking.
Spread a thin layer of sauce (without shrimp) on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange a layer of tortillas (about 5, overlapping slightly) to cover the bottom. Spoon one-third of the sauce-and-shrimp mixture over the tortillas, followed by one-third of the Monterey Jack cheese.
Repeat the layering process two more times: tortillas, sauce with shrimp, and cheese. Ensure the top layer of tortillas is well-covered with sauce to prevent drying out.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned, and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Ensure internal temperature reaches at least 74°C (165°F) in the center.
Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes to set. Garnish with crumbled Cotija cheese, a drizzle of crema, and extra fresh cilantro before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve a restaurant-style texture, briefly pass each tortilla through hot oil for 5 seconds per side before assembling. This 'fixing' of the starch prevents the lasagna from becoming a singular mushy mass.
- Adjust the acidity of your tomatillos with a pinch of sugar if the sauce tastes too sharp or sour after blending.
- Chop the shrimp into even bite-sized chunks rather than leaving them whole; this ensures every bite has protein and the casserole cuts cleanly.
- If your tomatillo sauce is very thick after blending, add a splash more water or stock; it should be loose enough to soak into the tortillas during baking.
- Charring the vegetables is crucial—do not skip the blackening step, as it provides the smoky depth that replaces a long simmer time.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Texture of tortillas will soften significantly over time.
Freezer: 1 month — Shrimp texture may degrade slightly upon thawing; thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Cover with foil and bake at 175°C (350°F) until heated through, or microwave individual portions.
