Huevos Divorciados

Believe it or not, the ominously named Huevos Divorciados come with the ability to keep the peace at the breakfast table.

There won't be anything to fight over as this dish is traditionally served with two freshly made Salsas.  Yes, two!

This will accommodate all palates and ensure that everyone leaves the morning summit a happy camper, even if they're starting the meal on opposite sides of the table.

How To Make Huevos Divorciados

This dish is typically served over fried corn tortillas, similar to Huevos Rancheros, but lately I serve it over a bed of potatoes and chorizo.  The spicy potatoes are delicious when drenched in the fresh Salsas and this turns it into a more substantial meal for me.  (If serving over corn tortillas sounds more appealing, you can see tips on frying the corn tortillas in the Huevos Rancheros post.)

The potatoes will take the longest of all the elements, so it's best to start with those.  And since this is a typically a  breakfast dish I'll be using the oven as much as possible, i.e. still waking up and don't want to work too much.

Dice up a potato into 1/4" cubes.

You can press the cubed potatoes into some paper towels to get rid of some of the moisture, but sometimes I skip this step and still end up with a good result.

Don't sweat the seasoning on the potatoes too much.  You'll be getting loads of flavor from the Salsas so it isn't too important.  For this batch I used:

1 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Note that most store-bought chili powders are loaded with salt and that can affect how much additional salt you add.  I'm a big fan of using pure chili powders that don't contain any additional ingredients and that's what we're using here. (More info on upgrading your chili powder.)

Combine all of these ingredients in a mixing bowl.  I find it easiest to cover the bowl with plastic and give it a good shake.

Form a single layer on a sheet pan and bake the potatoes for  20-30 minutes in a 400F oven.  You can use parchment paper for easy cleanup if you want.

I usually give them a stir halfway through as the bottom side will tend to crisp up the most.

But don't try to bake them until they are crispy enough to mimic fried potatoes -- it won't happen!  There's a middle ground where the insides are tender and the outside is partially crispy and I am usually happy with that.

Here's what this batch looked like after 30 minutes:

Once the potatoes are in the oven you can start roasting the ingredients for the Salsas.

Huevos Divorciados is typically served with both red and green Salsas, so we'll be using our Salsa Roja (Tomato Jalapeno Salsa) and our Salsa Verde for this recipe.  These Salsas are incredibly easy to make and they are both great additions to your kitchen arsenal.

Here's a quick look at the ingredients for the Salsa Verde:

And for the Tomato Jalapeno Salsa:

For both of these Salsas, I tend to roast the tomatoes and tomatillos in the oven but leave the other ingredients raw.  Of course, you are welcome to roast the onion and peppers if you're in the habit of doing that.

So we'll plop  4-5 tomatillos and 3 tomatoes next to the potatoes in the oven.  (What are tomatillos?)

Tomatoes typically need 20-30 minutes in the oven and tomatillos about 15-20 minutes.  You can take the tomatillos out when they turn army green in color, but sometimes I just leave them in until I need them.

Once roasted, you can add the tomatillos to a blender along with:

1/2 onion (I usually use white onion)
1/2 jalapeno
1 garlic clove
10-12 sprigs cilantro

Combine well and taste for heat level.  If you want to amp it up you can always add the other half of the jalapeno.  And don't forget that you can always substitute serranos for jalapenos if you want.

But don't eat it all yet!

Sometimes I'll add a pinch of salt to this Salsa but it depends on the tomatillos.  I didn't add any salt to this batch.

You can use a similar technique for the Salsa Roja.  Add the roasted tomatoes to the blender along with:

1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 jalapeno

Combine well and taste for heat, adding more jalapeno if you want.

Sometimes the flavor of this Salsa will vary based on how fresh the tomatoes are.  If it's not deliciously vibrant out of the blender then you can always give it a 5-10 minute simmer in some oil over medium heat.  This will further sweeten up the tomatoes and help it reach its full potential.

And regarding the chorizo, you can definitely consider it optional.  (What is Chorizo?)

To keep things simple, I usually just plop a chorizo link on the same sheet pan as the potatoes and bake it for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Okay, let's cook some eggs!

Sunny side up and over easy are both great choices.  The bites that have egg yolk dripping over Salsa drenched potatoes can alter the course of any war, so I recommend starting with one of these options.

Heat up a skillet over medium-low heat.  I usually add both oil and butter to the pan.   Gently crack the eggs into the pan.  The recipe box below is enough for 2 people (4 eggs) but I find it easiest to cook the eggs two at a time when runny yolks are at a premium.

For sunny side up, cook until the whites are set.  You can partially cover the skillet with a lid or foil to help accelerate this.   Or you can flip them over and briefly cook the other side if you want your eggs over easy.

When the eggs are almost done cooking, form a single layer of potatoes and chorizo on a plate.

You can serve on individual plates, or for more desperate situations you can serve everything on a single, larger plate to encourage peaceful interaction.

Add the eggs and then load them up with your freshly made Salsas, half red and half green.

I also like some freshly chopped cilantro on this dish so consider adding some as a final garnish.

For cilantro, I typically twist off and discard the bottom, thicker stems but use the upper stems that hold the leaves together.

Nice!

If the mission goes according to plan, the plate will look like this afterward:

And both parties will walk away with a bounce in their step and a fresh outlook on life.  Huevos Divorciados for the win!

Okay, let me know if you have any questions about the homemade Salsas -- they are the key to this dish and once you add them to your repertoire you'll always have the option of whipping up some Huevos Divorciados for breakfast.  Or dinner.  Or peace summits.

Buen Provecho.

 

Prefer Chilaquiles?  Try our Chilaquiles with Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa.