Huevos Rancheros With Clam Salsa On Handmade Sopes Recipes

SOPES

Steps:

• Put the masa harina in a bowl and add the warm water, reserving about 1/4 cup of water until you see how much the flour will absorb. Work well with your hands until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a cool spot for about 1 hour. This gives the starch particles time to swell and absorb the moisture thoroughly, giving more flexibility to the dough. Alternatively, make the Dried Corn Tortilla Masa (see recipe).
• Work the masa until very soft and smooth, and divide into 12 equal parts. Roll each into a ball about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and cover with a damp cloth while you work. Warm an ungreased comal over medium heat.
• Take 1 of the balls and press out gently in a lined tortilla press or by hand to a disk about 3 1/2 inches; it will be thicker than a tortilla, about 1/4-inch. Place carefully on the comal and cook over medium to low heat until the underside is opaque and speckled with brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the sope over and cook on the second side for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the comal and immediately (although you may burn your fingers a little) pinch up the dough around the periphery of the sope, return it to the comal, and cook briefly until the dough is firm and cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Continue with the rest of the balls.
• Heat a very small amount of the lard or oil in a skillet and let the sopes heat through for about 1/2 minute on each side. Spread with the bean paste and top liberally with the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately.
• Heat the lard in a heavy 10-inch skillet, add the onion and fry over medium heat without browning, until translucent, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the beans and their broth and continue cooking over fairly high heat, mashing them down to a paste texture, about 10 minutes.
• Melt the lard in a small skillet. Skin and crumble the chorizo into the pan, and cook over low heat until the fat has been rendered out. Add the potatoes and chile, if using, and continue cooking over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the skillet from time to time to avoid sticking, until well seasoned, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside to cool a little before using.
• Crush or blend the garlic, chiles and salt to a paste. Gradually add the tomatoes (unpeeled), grinding well after each addition. The sauce should be textured and the skin will never all completely disappear.
• Sprinkle the top with the onion and cilantro and serve.
• Chiles Asado:
• Place the whole chilies on an ungreased griddle over medium heat and turn them from time to time until the flesh is fairly soft; there will be brownish patches on the skin and the color will have faded somewhat. Then, if they are to be ground with other ingredients, chop roughly before blending. *
• Tomatoes Asados:
• The whole tomatoes are cooked on a ungreased comal or griddle until they are slightly charred and mushy to guarantee a specially delicious table or cooked sauce. About half the cooks I know then skin the tomatoes, while others, including me, blend them unskinned. While the appearance of the sauce may not be as attractive, the flavor and texture are incomparable. This method of cooking tomatoes is particularly recommended for freezing and storing for the months when tomatoes are not at their best (not a problem in Mexico).
• You may want to broil them in a more practical way. Choose a shallow pan in which the tomatoes will just fit in 1 layer, not too large or the juice that is exuded will dry up. (I used to line the pan with foil, but no longer. It is high time that we gradually ease foil out of the kitchen or use it very, very sparingly. The mining of bauxite for the production of aluminum has destroyed far too many tropical forests on this planet.) Place the pan about 2 inches below a heated broiler and broil until the top halves of the tomatoes are soft and the skin is blistered and slightly browned. Turn the tomatoes over and repeat on the other side. The exuded juice will be sweet and syrupy so save it to blend with the tomatoes.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• For the salsa: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add tomatillos, onions, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook until tomatillos and onions are softened, about 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender, add cilantro, vinegar, and salt, and puree until sauce is smooth. (Yields about 2 cups salsa.)
• For the eggs: Bring at least 3 inches of water to a simmer in a medium pot and stir in vinegar. Break each egg into a separate small cup. Fill a large bowl with warm water and set aside. Gently slide eggs into the simmering water, 1 at a time. Cook until whites are just set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Lift eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon. Place in a bowl of warm water to keep warm while finishing the dish.
• For the tortillas: Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. When oil is ready, add tortillas 1 at a time and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt.
• To serve: For each serving, place down 2 corn tortillas, place 2 eggs on top, drizzle with salsa, and sprinkle with cheese. If desired, top with a dollop of sour cream and slices of avocado. Serve immediately.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, jalapeño, 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon of the garlic, and mix well. Transfer 1½ cups of the fresh salsa to a bowl and set aside.
• Cook the remaining salsa over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Transfer the ranchero sauce to a bowl and cover to keep warm (you should have about 2 cups).
• In the same saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon garlic and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the beans (and their liquid), cumin, smoked paprika and ½ cup of the reserved fresh salsa, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently and mashing with the back of a spoon or potato masher, until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste and remove from heat.
• In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium. Crack in 4 of the eggs and cook undisturbed until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with the remaining oil and eggs.
• Meanwhile, stir the cilantro into the remaining 1 cup reserved salsa. Divide the tortillas across 4 plates (2 per plate). Spread refried black beans on the tortillas and top each with an egg. Cover the eggs with ranchero sauce. Divide avocado on the plates and garnish with some of the fresh salsa, queso fresco and cilantro.

QUICK AND EASY HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Arrange tostada shells on a baking sheet. Spread a layer of refried beans onto each shell; sprinkle each shell with about 1 tablespoon Cheddar cheese.
• Combine chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, salsa, and 1 cup cilantro in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until warm, about 5 minutes.
• Put black beans in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave until warm, about 1 minute.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook each egg in the melted butter until white is firm and yolk is still together, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully place each cooked egg atop a tostada shell; sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese.
• Bake tostadas in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
• Place each tostada on a plate; top with salsa mixture and cilantro. Spoon black beans on the side.