Shotts’ chicken nachos ready for prime time

A Chattaroy woman and her award-winning nacho recipe will make their debut on national television next week.

Eliza Shotts and her Chicken Mole Nachos will be featured at 7 p.m. next Wednesday on the Food Network’s “Emeril Live.” Shotts’ recipe was one of four winners in a chicken contest sponsored by chef Emeril Lagasse’s cooking show.

“I’m so glad it’s going to be shown,” Shotts said recently. “So many people have been asking me when it would be on.”

Last July, a two-man film crew from New York City visited Shotts’ log home in Chattaroy to watch her prepare her colorful creation that includes red, green and yellow peppers, avocados, olives and chocolate-tinged mole sauce. The crew spent hours taping at the scenic spot that looks out onto Mount Spokane.

In October, Shotts and her husband, Jerry, flew to New York courtesy of the Food Network for the taping of the show that will air next week. The couple sat in the audience with other contest winners, watching as Emeril Legasse prepared their dishes.

Shotts said that, considering the lengthy taping day, she was surprised by how little footage from her home made it onto the show. “It was less than a minute,” she said. “But it was fun.”

Shotts and her husband spent four days exploring New York, stopping at several delicatessens to taste local fare. The most memorable? “A pastrami sandwich,” she said.

Her favorite tourist destination was Central Park. “New York City is loud, 24 hours a day,” she said. “As you went into the park, the noise just went away.”

The couple plan to be in North Dakota visiting their daughter and grandson when the show debuts. Their daughter, who is in the service, leaves for Afghanistan in late March.

“They were with us during the filming, so we want to be with them when it airs,” Shotts said.

Here’s the recipe that will be featured. The long list of ingredients may look intimidating, but Shotts promises it’s worth the effort.

Chicken Mole Nachos

From Eliza Shotts, Chattaroy

For the Chicken Mole:

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons each salt and pepper

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

Vegetable oil, as needed for frying the chicken pieces

2 cups hot water or chicken broth

1/2 cup mole sauce (Shotts recommends Dona Maria brand)

For the Salsa Relish:

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

4 yellow chili peppers, seeded and diced

2 serrano chili peppers, seeded and diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1 celery rib, diced

4 green onions, sliced

1 juice of 1 fresh lime

1 teaspoon garlic

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

Salt and pepper, to taste (see note)

To serve:

Large bag lime flavored tortilla chips

4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

1 to 1 1/2 cups refried beans, heated thoroughly (see note)

2 ripe avocados, diced, covered well

1/2 cup olives, quartered

Crema Mexicana or sour cream (see note)

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

To make the Chicken Mole: Mix flour with salt and pepper, dredge chicken pieces in flour, shake off excess and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown and meat is cooked through. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.

Meanwhile mix water or chicken broth with mole sauce in large skillet and heat, stirring to dissolve mole. When mixture comes to a soft boil add the chicken and simmer. Adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt.

Prepare the Salsa Relish by mixing together all ingredients. Set aside. It can be made up to two hours ahead, do not refrigerate. It makes about 2 cups.

To serve: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a large heat-proof platter, spread 1/2 the bag of tortilla chips then layer with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the shredded pepper jack cheese covering all chips.

Spoon about 3/4 cup Salsa Relish over cheese (or as much as you like, but don’t use all of it. Save some for serving on the side).

Spread refried beans on top of cheese, layer with remaining chips.

Sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese on top of chips.

Spoon Chicken Mole on top of cheese.

Heat in oven until cheese melts.

Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese, quartered olives and diced avocado. Dollop Crema Mexicana on top of this, as much as you like.

Garnish platter with lime wedges and serve with remaining Salsa Relish on the side

Notes: Shotts says she usually starts with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in the Salsa Relish and then adds more once the mixture rests and she gets a better sense of the taste.

Shotts likes to add a little chicken broth or water to the refried beans to allow for a smooth spreadable consistency.

Shotts uses Cacique brand of Mexican sour cream.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.