WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS? Huevos a la Mexicana is a traditional scrambled egg dish that features the colors of the Mexican flag: fresh red tomatoes, bold white onions, and spicy green jalapeños. To keep the scramble light and fluffy, we had to eliminate as much moisture as we could from the vegetables. We first decided to sauté the vegetables and then remove them from the pan before adding the eggs. This only partially worked; the tomato still left the eggs weepy and wet. To solve this problem, we opted not to cook the tomato at all and instead drew out the tomato’s excess moisture by salting it and letting it drain before sprinkling it over the finished eggs. We knew that some dairy mixed into the eggs would help give them a soft texture; milk made the eggs runny, while richer half-and-half produced substantial eggs that stayed soft without being wet. With the moisture level under control, we shifted our focus to the flavor. Although the vegetables gave the scramble some flavor, we wanted more. Incorporating queso fresco and cilantro added additional freshness to the dish while also keeping the red, white, and green colors vibrant. For a hearty variation, we sautéed deeply flavorful chorizo with the onion and jalapeño.
SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, chopped fine
- 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 12 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons half-and-half
- 3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (¾ cup)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Toss tomato with ⅛ teaspoon salt in a bowl, then transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and let drain for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño, cover, and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Beat eggs, half-and-half, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together with a fork in a bowl until thoroughly combined and the mixture is pure yellow. Do not overbeat. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and, using a heat-resistant rubber spatula, constantly and firmly scrape along the bottom and sides of the skillet until the eggs begin to clump and the spatula leaves a trail on the bottom of the skillet, 1½ to 2½ minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and gently but constantly fold the eggs until clumped and slightly wet, 30 to 60 seconds. Off the heat, gently fold in the vegetable mixture and ½ cup queso fresco. If the eggs are still underdone, return the skillet to medium heat for no longer than 30 seconds. Sprinkle with drained tomato, remaining ¼ cup queso fresco, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
VARIATION:
SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH CHORIZO, ONION, AND JALAPENO
- Omit tomato and step 1. Substitute 8 ounces Mexican-style chorizo sausage, casings removed, for butter in step 2. Cook chorizo in skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes, before adding onion and jalapeño. Substitute shredded cheddar cheese for queso fresco and 2 thinly sliced scallions for cilantro.
