Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an accompaniment to other dishes

1 pound fresh Tomatillos, husked and rinsed, or one 13-ounce can, drained
1-2 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2-3 fresh Serrano or jalapeno chiles, roughly chopped
½ white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
sea salt
peanut or safflower oil for frying
12 store-bought corn tortillas, preferably at least 1 day old, torn or cut into pieces about ¾ by 2 inches
4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

For the Toppings
If using fresh tomatillos, simmer them for about 10 minutes in a small pan of boiling salted water. Drain and put the tomatillos in a blender or food processor.
Add ½ cup broth, 2 chiles, onion, garlic, and salt, and blend well but leave some texture. Add another ½ cup of broth. Taste for “hotness” and add another chile if necessary.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and when quite hot but not smoking, pour all the sauce in at once and stir vigorously. Taste for salt and continue cooking over lower heat until thick and darkened in color. Add more broth if needed and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. The sauce can be made in advance and reheated before using.

While the sauce is cooking, our ¼ inch of oil into a large skillet. When it is very hot, add a handful or so of tortilla strips and fry quickly until crisp and golden.
You will need to watch carefully that they do not burn. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper and repeat until all the tortillas are fried. The tortilla strips can be cooked in advance.

Right before serving, add the cilantro to the sauce, carefully stir in the tortilla strips and simmer for several minutes. More chicken broth can be added if needed. Taste for salt.

To serve, scoop a onto a warm dish, spoon on crema, and scatter the cheese on top. Serve with onion rings, avocado slices, and radishes.