“My Huevos Rancheros are served in tortilla bowls that are made by moulding pan fried tortillas in bowls. The tortilla bowls are a bit puffed and chewy, making them perfect for tearing bits off to scoop up the tomato filling and egg.” Huevos Rancheros is a traditional Mexican breakfast that consists of a fried egg on a fried tortilla with a spicy tomato sauce. One of the things I like to do is take a traditional dish and put my spin on it. This is a classic example of this. I use traditional ingredients but assemble it a bit differently. You have probably seen tortilla bowl recipes before – I’ve certainly seen many. But the difference with this one is that the tortilla bowl is not baked, it is dry pan fried then moulded into a bowl shape to set while it cools. The reason I do it this way is because the tortilla is not fully crispy, it is a bit chewy which makes it perfect for tearing bits off to scoop up the fragrant tomato broth and egg. You could bake tortilla bowls if you prefer. This is just a personal preference. I have tried baked tortilla bowls before but I found that it was more difficult to eat because the crispy tortilla was not strong enough to scoop up much filling and it was too crisp to spear with a fork. I got this idea from a Jamie Oliver recipe. I was a bit dubious at first, I wasn’t convinced it would hold its shape. But it does! It sags a bit, it is not like a baked tortilla bowl, but it holds its shape enough to spoon in the tomato filling and egg. I moulded the tortillas in small casserole pots I have, but it works with any bowl. And the beauty of it is that because you dry pan fry it, you don’t need to wash the bowl afterwards, just give it a quick wipe with a dish cloth and it’s clean!
One of the things that appeals to me about this breakfast is that you can eat it with your hands. I have a theory that everything tastes better when you can pick at it with your hands, and this is a great example of a breakfast you can enjoy with minimal cutlery use.
The other thing I love about Huevos Rancheros is that it lends itself to such versatility. I made this with onion, capsicum, tinned tomatoes, spices and black beans. But you could add cheese, corn, shredded meats or anything else that you have lying around in your fridge. I’ve even made this with bacon before. Not Mexican at all, but hey, it was delicious! As always, I would love to hear from you if you have any thoughts or suggestions! And if you have any questions at all, leave a comment and I will be sure to respond!
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