In her new book Cindy's Supper Club 'Meals from around the world to share with family and friends' (Ten Speed Press, May 2012), Cindy Pawlcyn offers recipes from all continents including a few tasty morsels from Mexico.
Here's one for Cinco de Mayo.
Huevos Motuleños
(Eggs in the Style of Motul)
Serves 6
Tomato Sauce
3 tomatoes, cored and halved through the equator
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
1 habanero or 2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired, and finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups pot beans (page 22)
6 tablespoons fresh ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons sour cream or Mexican crema
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Unsalted butter or mild vegetable oil, for frying eggs
6 organic eggs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the sauce, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, in the dry pan and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until charred. Turn the tomato halves, scraping up as many of the charred bits from the pan bottom as possible, and char the second side the same way, flattening the tomatoes slightly with a spatula so that the rounded sides touch the pan bottom. Transfer the tomatoes to a blender and process to a puree.
Pour the oil into the same skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pureed tomatoes and fry for a minute or two, scraping up all the flavorful bits stuck to the pan bottom. Remove from the heat, stir in the chile and onion, and season with salt and pepper.
When you are ready to serve, heat the beans and have the ricotta, sour cream, and cilantro ready. Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and fry, turning once, for 11/2 to 2 minutes on each side, until slightly crispy. (Or, arrange the tortillas on a baking sheet and put in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, until slightly crispy.) At the same time, melt some butter in a skillet; when it is foaming a lot, crack the eggs into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fry to your liking.
To serve, put a tortilla on each plate and spoon the beans over. Set an egg on the beans, and cover with the sauce. Top each with an equal amount of the cheese, drizzle with the sour cream, and garnish with the cilantro. Serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks
How to Fry a Perfect Egg
Heat a little butter or oil in a skillet over low heat. Crack the egg into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover. cook for 11/2 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk is still runny—the way I like eggs. For a more firmly set yolk, re-cover and cook to your liking.
(*Reprinted with permission from Cindy’s Supper Club: Meals from Around the World to Share with Family and Friends by Cindy Pawlcyn, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. Photo credit: Alex Farnum.)