Perfect Breakfast

1Nov2010

This, or something similar to this is my go-to savory breakfast option. It’s quite simple, really – just perfectly fried potatoes, perfect sunny-side up egg, good mild cheddar or monterey jack cheese, a pico de gallo salsa, roasted green chiles with minced garlic. And, of, course, perfect homemade tortillas. There are 5 important steps to making this breakfast come together, so I have created several recipes within this recipe to make sure you have the confidence to pull off this breakfast and start any morning off right!

Perfect Fried Potatoes

1-2 russet or purple viking potatoes per person eating, peeled and cut with a paring knife into irregular chipped pieces, or cubes
olive oil, or other vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste

If using a heavy-bottomed stainless frying pan (NOT non-stick) OR cast iron, you need to pre-season it. I do not recommend frying potatoes in a non-stick pan. Add 1 T. oil to pan and put it on medium-high heat. Heat until smoking while carefully swirling the oil around to coat sides and bottom. Remove from heat and let oil and pan cool. Wipe off excess oil with a paper towel and return pan to medium heat. Pan is ready to make perfect non-stick potatoes!
Add 1 T. oil and potatoes to pan – toss to coat. Bring potatoes and oil to temperature together – do not add potatoes to hot pan, they’ll burn – imparting an acrid flavor. The trick here is slow and easy, letting potatoes mellow and brown without too much stirring. When it is clear that they are browning, toss to brown other sides. Continue until potatoes are done.
When getting close, you can turn potatoes to low and cover until other sides of breakfast are ready. Salt & pepper to taste!

Perfect Sunny-side Up Egg

however many room-temperature farm-fresh eggs you would like
unsalted butter
salt

In a non-stick pan, heat one small pat of butter on low-medium heat until melted, not browned, not bubbling even.
Gently crack egg or eggs into pan.
Cover with lid.
Cook slowly for 2-3 minutes. Check to see if white is set. If not, cover and wait 30 more seconds. Check. Proceed this way until egg white is set, but yolk is still soft. Remove from heat, sprinkle yolk with salt. Serve.

Perfect Flour Tortillas

2 c. all-purpose white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt, NOT kosher
2 T. oil; olive or vegetable
about ¾ c. pretty warm water

Preheat your cast-iron skillet or griddle. DO NOT OIL THE SURFACE. Dry is best. Heat on medium-high to make sure the cast iron is heated throughout, then turn it down to medium-low for cooking.
Remove any rings you are wearing that you don’t want to get doughy.
In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Add oil to dry ingredients and whisk together to incorporate oil. Mixture should look grainy.
Next, run tap water until it is pretty warm, but not hot. Add some water to flour mixture while mixing with one hand to ensure that all flour gets made into a dough. Try to add enough water so that dough becomes elastic and slightly sticky, and pulls easily from the sides of the bowl. If it is too sticky, add more flour. Try not to handle the dough too much, as it can become tough. If this happens, let dough rest for 5 minutes – it will become workable again.
Divide dough in half over and over until you have 8 dough balls. Dip each ball in some flour so that it is not sticky to work with.
Flour your rolling pin and roll out each dough ball into a 6-8 inch diameter tortilla. Make sure your surface has enough flour so that the dough does not stick. Place tortilla on hot griddle and start rolling out next tortilla.
Each tortilla is ready to flip when it can be loosened easily from the griddle and has little brown dots/bubbles on each side.
Continue until finished – keep tortillas in a clean flour sack towel until ready to eat!

Green Chile Relish

12 anaheim or gordita type green chiles
1-2 cloves of garlic
salt

Turn broiler in oven on, or alternately, if you have a gas grill, you can turn this on high.
If using oven, place chiles on a baking sheet and underneath the heat source – 4-6 inches or so.
If using a gas grill, you can place chiles directly on grill over the flame.
Watch chiles and turn as they begin to blacken. You’re looking for an even roast.
When chiles are roasted, put in a pot with a lid to let them “sweat” themselves. This will make the skins easier to remove. Let them cool – when they are cool enough to handle, they are ready.
Peel and de-seed chiles. Place in bowl.
Peel and finely mince garlic cloves. Sprinkle chopped garlic with salt. Using broad side of large knife, smear garlic into the salt to form a paste. Add to chiles.
Using your hand, mix and squish chiles into garlic. Add salt to taste. Reserve for serving.

ALTERNATELY, and reluctantly, I will mention that you could use canned roasted green chiles if you have no access to fresh ones. There is a brand called Hatch that is quite good. Proceed as though you have already roasted, peeled and de-seeded.

Pico de Gallo

2-4 ripe tomatoes
1-2 jalapeño, serrano or other small, hot, green chile
1-2 clove garlic, minced and smashed into salt to form a paste
1 small onion, chopped finely
cilantro, if desired, washed and chopped

Remove stem from tomatoes. Chop into small cubes. Place in bowl.
Remove stem and cut chile lengthwise to expose seeds and membranes. Using small knife, cut out membranes and tap to loosen and remove seeds.
Cut chile into small cubes. Add to bowl with tomatoes.
Prepare garlic, and add to tomatoes and chile.
Add a small amount of finely chopped onion to tomatoes and chile and garlic.
Add cilantro if using.
Salt to taste.