I’ve seen Chilaquiles prepared several different ways since I first discovered their deliciousness in the summer of 2007. They are most typically a breakfast dish, but they would make an excellent lunch or dinner, too, since they are savory. Adding a side of pinto beans would make it a very hearty, filling meal. The recipe that follows is meant for two people, and it’s the way that Paco’s mother makes them, as far as I know. If you’re cooking for a larger group, I’d allot 5 to 6 tortillas and another tomato for each extra person.
Ingredients:
10-12 corn tortillas, 6-in. size, cut into quarters
Olive oil
Salt
5 medium fresh tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
To taste: fried eggs, hardboiled eggs, shredded chicken (pick one)
To taste: sour cream and cheese (a crumbly, fresh one would be most “authentic.” I’m lactose intolerant and can’t eat cheese, so I’m a little inept at talking about cheeses.)
Preparation:
Blanch tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for a few minutes until the skins begin to split. Remove the skins, and add whole peeled tomatoes to the blender with a few shakes of salt, onion and garlic.
Meanwhile, coat a frying pan with olive oil. Once heated, add the corn tortilla slices and stir. The goal is to get them browned, and preferably crispy. They will come apart and get mushy, but that’s pretty much inevitable.
While the tortillas are frying, blend the tomato mixture until smooth. It will be an unappetizing pink color and smell very strong. Once the tortillas are nicely browned and a little crispy, pour the tomato mixture over the tortillas, and do your best to stir so that the tortillas are soaked in the tomato mixture. Stirring occasionally, let the tortillas and tomatoes combine until the color has changed to a more comforting orange–this means the tomato puree is now cooked.
Serve the chilaquiles onto the plates, and add a fried egg, a sliced hard boiled egg, or some shredded chicken. My mother-in-law adds a few slivers of raw onion on top. Douse with cheese and cream according to your happily lactose-tolerant desires. Make sure to put some fresh salsa, or at least hot sauce, on the table!
Simplifications:
You could also use canned tomatoes instead of blanching. I don’t because fresh tomatoes are less expensive here. Another benefit of the blanching is that you can be boiling the eggs in the same water.
If you’d rather just use store bought tortilla chips, you can skip the tortilla slicing and frying step entirely. But if your goal is to use stale tortillas (or to emulate your future-mother-in-law, in my case), you’ll want to go about frying the tortilla slices. If you want do it the homemade way, but you want the tortillas to remain crispier and more intact, you could bake the tortillas or deep fry them beforehand. I don’t have the patience to do that, but if you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes.
