Chilaquiles
“Guajillo chillies give the smooth chilli sauce here just the right amount of heat,” says Stone. “The sauce is married with crisp tortilla chips for this popular Mexican breakfast dish, the two simmered together briefly before being served with all the good things – avocado, feta, coriander and radish. A fried egg on top wouldn’t go astray here either.”
Prep time 10 mins, cook 30 mins (plus soaking)
Serves 4
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
15 corn tortillas (14cm diameter), torn into quarters
45 gm dried guajillo chillies, stems removed, seeded and split (see note)
800 gm canned whole tomatoes
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Crumbled feta, sliced avocado, thinly sliced white onion and radish, coriander, and sour cream loosened with a little water, to serve
1 Heat oil in a large deep saucepan to 175C, then deep-fry tortillas in batches, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp (2-3 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and season with salt. Tortilla chips can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
2 Dry-roast chillies a few at a time in a large frying pan over medium heat, pressing them flat with a metal spatula and turning once, until charred and fragrant (20-30 seconds each side). Transfer to a bowl, cover with 750ml boiling water, weight chillies with a plate and stand until softened (20-25 minutes). Drain chillies, reserving 625ml soaking liquid, then transfer to a blender with tomatoes, onion, garlic, sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper and reserved soaking liquid, and blend until smooth (1-2 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve. At this stage, chilli sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
3 Heat a deep 30cm-diameter cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil, then chilli sauce and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce thickens slightly (4-5 minutes). Season to taste. Add tortilla chips to sauce and stir to coat well, cover and simmer until tortillas are softened but not mushy (2-3 minutes). Divide among plates, top with feta, avocado, onion, radish and coriander, and serve with sour cream.
Note Dried guajillo chillies are available online from Herbie’s Spices (herbies.com.au) and from select specialist food shops.