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CHILAQUILES
Serves 4
A simple version of the Mexican any time-of-day classic. You could add what ever else you wanted to the mix like cooked and crumbled chorizo or other sausage, shredded cooked turkey or chicken, sautéed sliced mushrooms, etc. If you don’t have tortillas, a couple of big handfuls of tortilla or corn chips work as well.
6-day-old corn tortillas cut into strips
Vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
1 medium poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
8 large eggs, beaten with a tablespoon or so of water or milk
Drops of your favorite hot sauce
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Pico de Gallo (recipe follows) or other homemade or store-bought salsa of your choice
1/4 cup or so crumbled queso fresco or Mexican Crema or stirred sour cream
Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4-inch oil and add the tortilla strips and toss with a teaspoon or so of salt and a big pinch of pepper. Continue stirring until the tortilla strips crisp. At first, they’ll soften and then crisp. Set aside and drain on paper towels. Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Alternately you lightly spray strips with vegetable oil and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 10 minutes or so or until crisp.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Sauté the onions and poblanos over medium heat until just beginning to color. Stir in the eggs and reserved tortilla strips and cook stirring until the eggs are softly scrambled.
Off heat, season to your taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce if using. Stir in the cilantro. Divide among 4 warm plates and top with salsa and queso fresco or a drizzle of crema or sour cream.
Pico de Gallo
Makes about 1-1/4 cups
3/4 pound (2 medium) seeded and diced ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon minced, seeded serrano chile (or to your taste)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Drops of lime or lemon juice to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and allow flavors to blend for at least 30 minutes before using. Store covered in refrigerator. For best flavor eat within 3 days but can be stored for as long as 5. Can be easily multiplied.
Side Bar: Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo is a classic fresh salsa in Tex-Mex cooking. It translates to “beak of the rooster” and I’ve never heard a definitive reason for why it’s called that. One view is that in Mexico fresh, chunky salsas are often eaten with the forefinger and the thumb that mimics the pecking action of a roster. Another view is that roosters chop up their food before eating it, in the same way that typical fresh salsas are chopped. Quien Sabe? Who knows?
John Ash c 2021
