Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (250 page)
SERVES 2
Because making omelets is such a quick process, make sure to have all your ingredients and equipment at the ready. If you don’t have skewers or chopsticks to stir the eggs in step 3, use the handle of a wooden spoon. Warm the plates in a 200-degree oven.
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces |
¹⁄ | teaspoon vegetable oil |
6 | large eggs, chilled |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
Pepper | |
2 | tablespoons shredded Gruyère cheese |
4 | teaspoons minced fresh chives |
1.
Cut 1 tablespoon butter in half. Cut remaining 1 tablespoon butter into small pieces, transfer to small bowl, and place in freezer while preparing eggs and skillet, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet over low heat for 10 minutes.
2.
Crack 2 eggs into medium bowl and separate third egg; reserve egg white for another use and add egg yolk to bowl. Add salt and pinch pepper. Break egg yolks with fork, then beat eggs at moderate pace, about 80 strokes, until yolks and whites are well combined. Stir in half of frozen butter cubes.
3.
When skillet is fully heated, use paper towels to wipe out oil, leaving thin film on bottom and sides of skillet. Add ¹⁄
2
tablespoon of reserved butter to skillet and heat until melted. Swirl butter to coat skillet, add egg mixture, and increase heat to medium-high. Use 2 chopsticks or wooden skewers to scramble eggs, using quick circular motion to move around skillet, scraping cooked egg from side of skillet as you go, until eggs are almost cooked but still slightly runny, 45 to 90 seconds. Turn off heat (remove skillet from heat if using electric burner) and smooth eggs into even layer using heatproof rubber spatula. Sprinkle omelet with 1 tablespoon Gruyère and 2 teaspoons chives. Cover skillet with tight-fitting lid and let sit for 1 minute for runnier omelet or 2 minutes for firmer omelet.
4.
Heat skillet over low heat for 20 seconds, uncover, and, using rubber spatula, loosen edges of omelet from skillet. Place folded square of paper towel onto warmed plate and slide omelet out of skillet onto paper towel so that omelet lies flat on plate and hangs about 1 inch off paper towel. Roll omelet into neat cylinder and set aside. Return skillet to low heat and heat for 2 minutes before repeating instructions for second omelet starting with step 2. Serve.
1.
Add beaten egg mixture to skillet and stir with chopsticks to produce small curds, which result in silkier texture.
2.
Turn off heat while eggs are still runny; smooth with heatproof rubber spatula into even layer.
3.
After sprinkling with cheese and chives, cover so residual heat gently finishes cooking omelet.
4.
Slide finished omelet onto paper towel–lined plate. Use paper towel to lift omelet and roll it up.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
The huevos rancheros found on American brunch menus more often resemble heaping plates of nachos than the simple, satisfying Mexican meal of tortillas, eggs, and salsa they are meant to be. We wanted to use supermarket staples to produce the most authentic version possible. Starting at the top, with the salsa, we enhanced the flavor of the tomatoes, chiles, and onions by adding tomato paste and then roasting them. Garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and cilantro gave the salsa a zesty, clean flavor. The fried eggs presented a true challenge: even if we didn’t break the yolks when we placed the eggs on top of the tortilla, they ended up looking ragged. Poaching the eggs in the hot salsa left them looking perfect and gave them a boost of flavor. Finally, we brushed supermarket tortillas with oil, sprinkled a little salt on top, and toasted them so they’d be crisp and dry enough to provide a sturdy and flavorful base for the eggs and salsa.
SERVES 2 TO 4
To save time in the morning, make the salsa the day before and store it overnight in the refrigerator. If you need to hold the tortillas for a short period of time, cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil. If you like, serve with
REFRIED BEANS
.
SALSA
3 | jalapeño chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded |
1¹⁄ | pounds plum tomatoes, cored and halved |
¹⁄ | onion, cut into ¹⁄ |
2 | garlic cloves, peeled |
2 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
1 | tablespoon tomato paste |
Salt and pepper | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cumin |
¹⁄ | teaspoon cayenne pepper |
3 | tablespoons minced fresh cilantro |
1–2 | tablespoons lime juice plus lime wedges |
TORTILLAS AND EGGS
4 | (6-inch) corn tortillas |
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
Salt and pepper | |
4 | large eggs |
1. FOR THE SALSA:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Mince 1 jalapeño; set aside. In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, remaining 2 jalapeños, onion, garlic, oil, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, and cayenne; toss to mix thoroughly. Place vegetables cut side down on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tomatoes are tender and skins begin to shrivel and brown, 35 to 45 minutes; let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Transfer roasted onion, garlic, and jalapeños to food processor. Process until almost completely broken down, about 10 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl. Add tomatoes and process until salsa is slightly chunky, about 10 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, reserved 1 minced jalapeño, and salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste.
2. FOR THE TORTILLAS AND EGGS:
Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil, sprinkle both sides with salt, and place on clean baking sheet. Bake until tops just begin to color, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip tortillas and continue to bake until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
3.
Meanwhile, bring salsa to gentle simmer in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat and make 4 shallow wells in salsa with back of large spoon. Break 1 egg into cup, then carefully pour egg into well in salsa; repeat with remaining eggs. Season each egg with salt and pepper to taste, then cover skillet and place over medium-low heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes for runny yolks or 6 to 7 minutes for set yolks.
4. TO SERVE:
Place tortillas on serving plates; gently scoop 1 egg onto each tortilla. Spoon salsa around each egg, covering tortillas, but leaving portion of eggs exposed. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
This tapas bar favorite, boasting meltingly tender potatoes in a dense, creamy omelet, is immensely appealing. But the typical recipe calls for simmering the potatoes in up to 4 cups of extra-virgin olive oil. Using so much oil for a single, somewhat humble meal seemed excessive. We were able to cut the oil to a mere 6 tablespoons by substituting firmer, less starchy Yukon Gold potatoes for the standard russets. Traditional recipes call for flipping the tortilla with the help of a single plate, but when we tried this, the result was an egg-splattered floor. Sliding the omelet onto the plate and then using a second plate to flip it made a once-messy task foolproof. And while the tortillas were perfectly good plain, we prepared two versions with complementary ingredients (roasted red peppers and peas in one, and Spanish chorizo sausage in another) and served them with a batch of garlicky mayonnaise.
