The Ultimate Hangover Cure.
For about a month in San Jose del Cabo, I surfed and lived on the heady mix of huevos rancheros and Pacífico Clara. It is by far the most addictive fried egg dish on the market, and when served with fresh fruit, café con leche, refried beans, and beer it both satisfies most of your daily dietary requirements and improves your mad surfing style.
Sadly however, I come from a country with abundant surf, yet virtually devoid of the influence of Mexican culture. Despite our wealth of fantastic food and people like sneff, good Mexican is non-existent. Salsa Ranchera can't be bought in tinned form! There are no tortillerias!. So I learnt this recipe from a wizened Baja California local:
What You'll Need
For the salsa
- A kilo of ripe tomatoes, roasted with skin on. Use tinned tomatoes if you're feeling lazy/hungover.
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped roughly
- 6 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed and roasted
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 2 chopped white onions
For the rest
What to do:
Put the tomatoes, garlic, and chiles in a food processor and briefly puree, leaving a few good chunks. Heat oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Pour in the tomato mix and cook for a further 5 minutes over high heat, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Keep warm.
Wrap tortillas in aluminium foil, and warm in the oven. Fry the eggs as you see fit. Poach them if you want, it matters nought. I like them runny. Overlap 2 tortillas on each plate and top with 2 eggs. Spoon a hefty dose of the warm tomato mix (salsa ranchera) over your eggs, then the sour cream. Sprinkle cheese and coriander over the top as required.