Fresh & Herby Huevos Rancheros with Pico de Gallo
From Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours, ITV
Huevos Rancheros, or ‘ranch eggs’ are fried eggs served with or on tortilla with spiced tomatoes and beans. This is my fresh and herby take that’s great for a delicious brunch or light lunch. Adding fresh herbs to the oil when you fry your eggs is a lovely way to brighten up a fried egg. For quickness you can use a ready-made tin of refried beans, but I love the freshness of these tomatoey beans.
Method
First make the Pico De Gallo. Put all of the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Check the seasoning and set aside.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan and cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the spices and oregano for another 30 seconds and then add the tomatoes and beans. Bring to a simmer, season to taste and cook for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Use a fork to gently mash down a few of the beans, leaving plenty of texture. Check for seasoning and set aside to keep warm.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the tortilla one at a time and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until the edges are nice and crisp, adding a little more oil when needed (alternatively brush with oil and bake for 3-4 minutes on each side at 180cfan). Transfer to serving plates.
In the same pan add 2 tbsp oil and when hot sprinkle in the oregano and coriander leaves. Crack the eggs on top and fry to your liking. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
To serve, spread some beans over each tortilla, top with avocado slices, the fried egg and a spoonful or two of Pico De Gallo. Scatter with crumbled feta. Squeeze over some lime juice and drizzle with hot sauce or sprinkle with a pinch of chilli flakes.
Ingredients
- sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying
- 4 soft corn tortilla
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves, plus extra to serve
- 4 eggs
- For the Pico de Gallo
- 2-3 ripe tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
- ½ small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeno, deseeded and chopped (or 1 tbsp chopped jalapenos from a jar)
- pinch of sugar
- handful of coriander leaves, chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- zest and juice of ½ lime
- For the Beans
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 x 226g tin chopped tomatoes, drained
- 1 x 400g tin pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- To Serve
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 100g cotija cheese or feta, crumbled
- Mexican hot sauce or chilli flakes (optional), to serve
- ½ lime, for squeezing