Traveler Recipe Book: Beetroot Toast with Fried Egg
Many believe that Mexican food is a bit heavy and that it gives too much prominence to meat, but in the time before the Spanish colonization this was not the case. Before, it was based, fundamentally, on vegetables. Taking the example, this recipe gives all the importance to beets and spices. While the fried egg adds that characteristic flavor of the traditional Texas breakfast taco.
Beets are perfect to combine with toast. Its firm texture and sweetness make it perfect for this recipe, but if beets are not your thing, you can substitute them for pumpkin or some other type of sweet vegetable.
Ingredients for 6 servings:
- 700 g of red beet (two large) peeled and cut into four pieces of about half a cm.
- 2 grated garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 and ⅓ cups of oil, plus another 3 tablespoons
- 1 large white onion, halved at the root, cut into thick slices
- 6 medium serrano peppers, sliced lengthwise, leaving stems and seeds intact
- ⅓ cup sage leaves
- 6 corn tortillas about 15 cm in diameter
- 6 large eggs
- Tree sauce (recipe below)
Preparation:
Put a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 180º. Toss beets, garlic, chili, oregano, paprika, cumin, pepper, and 1 tablespoon salt with ⅓ cup oil in medium bowl until beets are well coated. Put them in an aluminum baking tray; cook, stopping every 15 minutes to stir, until beets are tender and spices are releasing their aromas and smell slightly toasty, about 35-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat two cups of oil in a large skillet over high heat until it sizzles just from touching the edge of the tortilla. Carefully fry the onion little by little to avoid splashing and reducing the heat, until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer it to the oven lined with parchment paper. Fry the sage leaves until crisp, about 30 seconds. Put them on the baking tray. Fry each tortilla one at a time until toasted, about a minute on each side. Put the toast on the tray too.
Fry remaining oil (3 tablespoons) in separate large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs to the pan, leaving space between them, and fry them until the lace is crispy, about four minutes. Add salt.
Pour the mixture of spread beets over toast, dividing evenly, and top each with an egg, chiles, sage, and salsa de arbol.
Ingredients for 2 cups of tree sauce:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 chiles de arbol, seeded, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can of 125 g roasted tomatoes
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Preparation:
Heat the oil a little in a medium skillet. Add the chiles and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and a glass of water, and turn up the heat slightly, stirring occasionally until most of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Season the tomato sauce with salt. Use a mixer to give it the consistency of a thick sauce. Let cool and then stir with the lime juice.
The sauce can be made 3 days before consumption, without the lime juice, added just before serving.
Report originally published in Bon Appétit