Tortilla soup

Johnny Vee, from Las Cosas in Santa Fe. Serves 6. 15 steps

16 New Mexico dried red chiles	wiped clean, stemmed, seeded, and toasted for 30 seconds	pour stock over chiles and leave 20 minutes or until softened	reserve 6 chiles	Cut into thin strips and quick-fry in hot oil. Drain on paper towels.					Arrange avocado slices, tortilla strips, cheese and fried chiles in soup bowls. Ladle soup into the bowls and serve immediately.
3 cups rich chicken stock	heat		other chiles and stock		Blend until smooth	strain	Simmer for 20 minutes	Discard coriander from soup
3 large ripe tomatoes	cut out cores, and cut a small X at the opposite end. Grill over high heat until nicely blackened, then cut into quarters
3 cloves garlic
3 more cups rich chicken stock						add
12 sprigs coriander
6 small corn tortillas	Brush tortillas with oil on both sides, and cut into 1/2 cm strips. Spread in an even layer and bake until golden and crisp.
vegetable oil
1 medium avocado	slice
120g queso fresco	cut into 1 cm cubes

Use mozzarella if queso fresco is unavailable.