Eggs scrambled with tortilla chips (Huevos revueltos con totopos)

Chilaquiles are Mexico's gift to the world of breakfast, and they are one of my favourite breakfast and brunch dishes. Essentially, it is eggs over crisp tortilla chips, called totopos in Mexico, and loaded with salsa, beans and cheese. There are countless variations of the dish; it varies by region and community. The word "chilaquiles" comes from the ancient Nahuatl words for "chilis" and "greens," and dates back to the Aztecs.

Chilaquiles seems to have arisen from the need to finish leftovers from the day before. Stale soft corn tortillas were fried crisp, beans were reheated or refried, meats were cooked with eggs, and salsa, both green and red, as well as occasionally moles, were consumed, all of which were served on a magical plate of chilaquiles. The addition of freshly cooked eggs enhances the dish, and the eggs can be prepared in various ways, including fried, scrambled, poached, and even boiled. Loaded with cheese, scallions, cilantro and other toppings local to the region, this dish has reached its culinary peak across the world. The magic lies in the contrasting textures between the soft cheeses and the crispy tortilla chips.

This is a simple variation of the dish. The soft eggs are smothered in the mildly spiced chile pasilla salsa, and the soft cream cheese melts on your palate. This is a variation that's easy to make and incredibly delicious.

Diana Kennedy is literally the queen of Mexican cuisine. She has received numerous awards, including the Order of the Aztec Eagle (highly regarded in Mexico) and a James Beard Foundation Award (highly regarded in the culinary world). In 2002, Prince Charles visited Kennedy at her home to appoint her an MBE for “furthering cultural relations between the UK and Mexico.” Every cookbook of hers is massive, filled with fantastic recipes and keeps me very happy in the kitchen. This is just the cookbook you want to get into some serious Mexican cooking.

For more recipes from The Cuisines of Mexico cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the eggs:

4 eggs

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon oil

For the pasilla salsa:

3-4 pasilla chillies

1 clove garlic, sliced

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon oil

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon onions, finely diced

Toppings:

Tortilla/nacho chips

2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped

Cream cheese

cilantro, minced

Start by making the salsa. Heat a frying pan and roast the pasilla chillies, pressing down on them till they smoke. Be careful not to burn them. Cool. Remove the stems and seeds, then add them to the rest of the salsa ingredients, except the onions. Blitz until you have a lightly textured salsa; taste for salt. Add the onions and mix in.

Set aside 1-3 hours for the salsa to mature and the flavours to integrate.

Heat the oil on low heat in a small saucepan. Beat the eggs with the salt till frothy. Add the eggs to the pot and stir continually while the eggs slowly cook. Cook till they are just formed but still fluffy and moist. Do not overcook them to a dry mess. Also, if you overcook the eggs, they will release water that will make the crisp tortilla chips soggy.

Line a large platter with tortilla chips. Gently scoop the eggs over the tortilla chips and drizzle with the salsa. Dab with blobs of the cream cheese and garnish with the onions and cilantro. Serve immediately, accompanied by extra salsa on the side.