Huevos Rancheros

Start your day with this Mexican classic. Combining eggs, chilli, cheese and avocado with a rich warm tomato salsa, it’s a great way to give yourself a morning lift, alongside a strong black coffee.

Cooking time: 40 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 medium eggs
500 g baby plum tomatoes
1 red onion
1 pointed sweet red pepper
3 red chillies
2 cloves garlic
1 ripe avocado
Juice of 1 lime
100 g cheddar
Small bunch fresh chives
4 large tortilla wraps
Olive oil, salt & black pepper.

Method

1. Finely slice the onion and add to a large frying pan over a low heat, with plenty of salt and black pepper. Deseed and finely slice the red pepper, and when the onions are soft, add the pepper to the pan and increase the heat. Finely chop the chilli and garlic, and add to the pan too.
2. Halve the tomatoes. When the pepper and onions have taken on a little colour from the increased heat (charring is good!), throw in the tomatoes and crush half of them with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir well, then reduce the heat and cover the pan (if your frying pan doesn’t have a lid, you can cover carefully with foil or with a large upturned plate or bowl, so long as you’re careful when removing it later).
3. Leave for 15 minutes to allow the tomatoes to break down. While cooking, halve your avocado and remove the stone. Score the soft green flesh of each half in a criss-cross pattern taking care not to pierce the skin, then squeeze each out into a bowl. Cover with the lime juice and a grind of salt and pepper, then mash the whole lot together with a fork.
4. Uncover the tomato salsa and stir well. Using a wooden spoon, dig 4 little wells into the thick stewy sauce. Crack an egg into each well and sprinkle some black pepper across the top. Cover the whole thing up again to allow the eggs to poach in the juices.
5. After about 5 minutes (or when the eggs are done to your liking), take the pan off the heat. Char the tortilla wraps over the flame of the hob, lay them out on plates, and spoon an egg on to each with plenty of the salsa. Dollop the avocado and lime mixture down the side and top with grated cheddar, some finely chopped chives, and any extra red chilli or hot sauce that you might fancy. Serve, fold, and eat!

— Dan