This is a great breakfast dish to add to your repertoire. It's also a dish that most people have never had before, so feel free to unleash it at opportune moments!
The literal translation of Huevos Ahogados is drowned eggs. In this case, eggs drowned in freshly made Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa.
If drowned eggs sounds too somber, you can refer to them as Huevos Abrazados, which translates to eggs embraced or hugged (by salsa!).
Either way, give this technique a try and you might find a new favorite dish for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.
A traditional tomato-based Salsa tinged with some vibrant cilantro is the perfect candidate to hug your eggs.
Here's a look at the dry ingredients for your salsa:
Look familiar? Yup, it's the Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa from the Salsas Module along with a burst of fresh cilantro.
We'll start by roasting the tomatoes and jalapenos in the oven to deepen their flavors.
Note: using two jalapenos gives this sauce some kick. If you prefer a milder sauce you can omit one of the jalapenos.
In 15-20 minutes they'll look like this:
So why are we roasting the jalapenos in this dish but not in the Tomato-Jalapeno Salsa from the first Module? Good question! Roasting the jalapenos will both sweeten and mellow them out a bit and that's a good fit for this eggs dish, but I prefer the sharpness of the unroasted jalapeno (and onion) for a traditional Tomato Jalapeno Salsa.
Add the tomatoes, de-stemmed jalapenos, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, and 10-12 sprigs cilantro to a blender. Pulse blend until you have a thick liquid.
Add a dollop of oil to a high-rimmed saucepan on medium heat. The pan needs to be deep enough to allow room for poached eggs.
Cook the salsa over medium heat for a few minutes until thickened slightly.
Add 2-3 cups of chicken stock (or veggie stock, or water) along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. You can add more salt here if you think it needs it because we'll be serving the poached eggs in the broth.
We'll have more to say about stock choices later on in the Soup Module, but for now if you have a favorite store-bought stock then that will work for this recipe. Using stock creates great flavor in this dish, but if you don't have stock on hand you can still make it by simply adding water. Just know that you'll probably need a little more liquid than just the salsa for the eggs to have enough depth to poach in.
It's easiest to add the eggs one at a time to the boiling salsa. Cracking them in individual bowls can help with this.
Once the salsa mixture is boiling, reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer.
Add the eggs to the salsa.
As they start to set, you can spoon some salsa over the top of the eggs to help them set further.
It'll take 5-7 minutes for firm whites and runny yolks, and a couple minutes longer for cooked yolks.
Serve the eggs in a dish that lets them sit in plenty of the Salsa mixture, because it is delicioso.
Season with salt and freshly chopped cilantro (optional).
Warm corn tortillas go great with this dish. Sometimes I'll even add some refried beans and cheese to the tortillas, quickly heat 'em up on a dry skillet, and dip them in the Salsa mixture. So good!
Okay...breakfast is served! Trust me, if you serve up poached eggs swimming in Salsa broth to your loved ones they will look at you differently for the rest of the day -- in a good way!
The recipe box for Huevos Ahogados is down below, you can print it out if you want to reference it in the kitchen.
Next up we're going to make a classic Mexican breakfast dish...Huevos Rancheros! Click the 'Next Recipe' button down below to continue.
Huevos Ahogados -- Eggs Drowned in Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes
- 2 jalapenos (serranos will work too)
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10-12 sprigs cilantro
- 6 eggs
- 2-3 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- cilantro for garnish (optional)
- 2-3 Hatch chiles (optional)
Instructions
- Roast the tomatoes and jalapenos in the oven at 400F for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, jalapenos (de-stemmed), 1/2 white onion, 2 cloves garlic, and 10-12 sprigs cilantro to a blender. Pulse blend until you have a thick liquid.
- Add a dollop of oil (or lard) to a high-rimmed saucepan. Saute the salsa mixture from the blender until slightly thickened, 4-6 minutes.
- Add 2-3 cups of stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Salt to taste.
- Cracking the eggs in individual bowls makes it easier to slide them into the broth. Add the eggs to salsa mixture.
- Cook the eggs 4-6 minutes for runny yolks, or a couple minutes longer for firm yolks.
- Serve the eggs in bowls along with plenty of the salsa broth. Taste for seasoning and garnish with fresh cilantro (optional).
- Corn tortillas, toast, or crispy quesadillas are all good options to dip into the delicious broth.
Notes