Huevos rancheros (Mexican-style fried eggs) recipe

A traditional Mexican breakfast, this dish is usually made with corn tortillas, but this recipe uses flour tortillas. Serve with refried beans or simply with some crumbled feta or grated Cheddar on top.

Ingredients

1. Vegetable oil for shallow-frying
2. 8 large free-range eggs
3. 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4. 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
5. For the flour tortillas
6. 175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
7. 1 tsp baking powder
8. ½ tsp salt
9. 50g chilled lard, cut into small pieces
10. 100ml lukewarm water
11. For the tomato salsa
12. 2 tbsp sunflower oil
13. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
14. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
15. 2 green chillies, such as jalapeño, finely chopped (deseeded if you want less heat)
16. 400g can chopped tomatoes
17. 1 tsp lime juice
18. Dash of Tabasco sauce

Method

1. 1. For the flour tortillas, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a food processor, add the lard and whizz briefly until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl, stir in the water and mix into a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Cut the dough into 12 evenly sized pieces and roll each one into a ball. Put on a plate, cover with cling film and set aside for 1 hour.
2. 2. Meanwhile, for the tomato salsa, heat the sunflower oil in a medium pan, add the onion and garlic, then fry gently for 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and lightly browned. Add the chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes more. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer until reduced and thickened but still pourable. Stir in the lime juice, season to taste with Tabasco, salt and pepper, then set aside.
3. 3. Shortly before serving, cook the tortillas. Heat a dry, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Take one ball of dough and flatten slightly, dusted in a little flour, first on one side and then the other, into a disc. Roll out into a 10-11cm circle. Put the tortilla into the hot pan and cook for 15-20 seconds until it is marked with dark spots, then turn over and cook for another 20 seconds. Cook for another 10 seconds on each side. Remove and wrap in a clean tea towel to keep warm while you cook the remaining tortillas.
4. 4. Gently reheat the tomato salsa and refried beans (if serving – see next recipe). Heat some vegetable oil in a big frying pan over a medium heat, break in 4 of the eggs and fry, spooning hot oil over the yolks as they cook, so the whites form slightly crisp, crinkly edges and the yolks are set to your liking.
5. 5. Reheat the tortillas if necessary by placing them in a medium-hot frying pan for 10 seconds on each side. Slightly overlap 2 warm tortillas on warmed plates, top with 2 fried eggs, then spoon salsa over and around the eggs. Scatter over a quarter of the red onion and chopped coriander (if you’re serving this with the refried beans, you could add a quarter of the crisp bacon from that recipe, too).
6. Repeat with the rest of the eggs. Serve with the remaining tortillas.

Nutritional info

PER SERVING 595kcals, 39.5g fat (10.5g saturated), 23.4g protein, 40.9g carbs, 5.6g sugar, 1.4g salt

Chef's tip

You can prepare the elements for this dish ahead of time. At the last minute, fry the tortillas and eggs, while reheating the refried beans (if making) and salsa.