Sopa De Pollo

In the open flame of a gas burner or under a preheated broiler, roast the ling green chili's, turning them, until they are lightly but evenly charred. Steam the chili's in a paper bag, or in a bowl, covered with a plate, until cool. Rub away the burnt peel. Stem and seed the chiles and coarsely chop them. There should be about 1 cup.

In a non-reactive saucepan over low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, covered, stirring once or twice, for about 20 minutes. Cool the sauce to room temperature. Reserve 2 cups of the sauce and combine the remainder with the chicken.

The recipe can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate the reserved sauce and the chicken mixture separately. return both to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350AF. In a deep skillet, warm about 1 inch of corn oil over medium heat. Using tongs, immerse the tortillas one at a time in the oil, turn them, and then transfer them to absorbent paper. The tortillas should be in the oil no longer than a few seconds, and the oil should be hot enough to soften the tortillas but not so hot that the edges begin to crisp.

Arrange 8 of the tortillas in an overlapping layer in the bottom of a 10 by 14-inch baking dish about 2 inches deep. Spread half the chicken over the tortillas. Spread about half the chicken over the tortillas. Arrange 8 more of the tortillas in an overlapping layer over the chicken. Sprinkle half the cheese over the tortillas. Spread the remaining chicken mixture over the cheese. Spread the reserved sauce over these tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sauce. Spread the sour cream over evenly the cheese.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the sopa is crisp and the edges are bubbling and the topping is set. Let the sopa stand on a rack for about 5 minutes before serving. Cut into rectangles to serve, and accompany it with shredded romaine and salsa, if desired.