Luis Navarro of Nanna Mexico shares his recipe for a Mexican breakfast classic
“I like my breakfast to set me up for the day ahead. Huevos rancheros (cowboy’s eggs) are just the thing to perk me up in the morning. In Mexico we make them with salsa roja on one fried egg and salsa verde on the other. This resembles the national colours but more importantly brings the palate to life with the flavours of freshly made salsas. The eggs are served on a bed of briefly fired corn tortillas and provide the perfect contrast to the eggs and salsa texture and consistency.”
• 2 corn tortillas per person, lightly fried or grilled over a naked flame • 2 good quality free range eggs fried the way you like them • salsa
Place the eggs on top of the tortillas. Add the salsa on top. Try serving with extra fried tortilla chips and black or pinto beans. Down it all with a glass of fresh orange juice and enjoy your day!
Jo Kruczynska of Afternoon Tease likes hers scrambled, with smoked salmon, on sourdough
“Sometimes it’s about the simple things done well. I don’t think you can go wrong when you’re using really lovely, fresh ingredients. At Afternoon Tease, we use smoked salmon from Chapel & Swan, free range eggs from Rattlesden Farm Foods and sourdough bread from Dovecote Bakery.”
METHOD
To make the perfect scrambled eggs you need patience! First, vigorously whisk your eggs (two per person) with a generous splash of milk and salt (don’t worry if it starts to look like orange juice!). The salt helps break down the protein in the eggs and, as well as making them taste better, gives them a nicer texture.
Put a non-stick frying pan onto a low/medium heat and add a generous knob of salted butter. Once the butter has melted, add the eggs. Now, this is when patience is your friend: keep your hands to yourself. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat and definitely don’t stir the eggs. Occasionally push the eggs from the front to the back of the pan with a rubber spatula to make sure they’re not sticking or turning into an omelette.
Just before your eggs are set, and no longer runny, remove the pan from the heat and season with pepper. Trust me: the heat of the pan will cook them to perfection by the time you’ve sorted out your toast. Then simply pile them on the toast, put the salmon on top and tuck in.
Rhode Island’s head chef Carlos enjoys a dash of spice with his steamed tomato eggs
Fiery Tomato Eggs as we call them, are the best eggs I’ve ever had and what’s great is that they’re veggie friendly too! This is one of my favourite family recipes to make – mind you I have tweaked it here and there over the years to my personal preference. We used to serve these eggs on our breakfast menu.”
Ingredients (for approx 2-3 people) • 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 2 medium-sized tomatoes, 0.5/1cm slices • 1/2tbsp turmeric powder, optional – but really good! • Garlic bulb • 1 small green chilli, thinly sliced • spring onion • coriander to taste • 4-5 medium to large eggs • Maldon salt and coarse black pepper to taste
Method
Put a 20cm/8” pan over a low heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil has warmed a little, add the sliced tomatoes. Cover the entire bottom of the pan with the tomatoes – overlapping is fine.
Cook the tomatoes for 3-4 mins and then turn over to allow the other side to cook. Add turmeric and cover with a lid. Cook for a further 3-4 mins. Meanwhile peel the garlic, cut it in half and remove the centre, then slice the remainder into thin slices or crush it completely.
Once the tomatoes are softened and juicy, add the garlic, green chilli, spring onion and coriander.
Now break the eggs straight into the pan. Distribute them evenly to cover all the tomatoes and place the lid back on the pan.
Wait 5 mins and take off the lid. The eggs should be cooked all the way through; the top layer should be completely firm, without any runny egg. Remove from the heat and garnish with more coriander if you wish. Add salt and pepper to taste.
