Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo

Servings: 4  
Honestly, even for the least experienced cook, a recipe for eggs and chorizo is superfluous: Cook some chorizo in a pan—add some eggs—scramble. The name says it all. That is, until you start thinking about delicious ways to fill out those basics, transforming the ordinary into something truly memorable. The most straightforward approach would be to add a little chopped onion, tomato and green chile to the pan after the chorizo begins melting some of its fat for the vegetables to cook in. For some of you, that will raise a red flag: You simply don’t put green chile in a pan with red chile chorizo. Yes it’s true: In Mexico, rarely do cooks mix fresh green chiles with dried red ones (the flavor of chlorophyl in fresh chiles clashes with the beta-carotene in dried chiles). Except in one type of dish. When the red chile preparation contains vinegar (as it does in chorizo), the perfect complement nearly always goes to something (usually a salsa) with green chile. I’m offering you two options for flavoring your huevos con chorizo here, one complementary (the addition of smoky red chipotle) and one contrasting (the addition of roasted green poblano). This scramble is chockful of aromatic chorizo and sweet onions. I love it that way—sometimes even with luxurious bits of avocado dotted on top.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large fresh poblano chile OR 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, either homemade or store-bought
  • A little vegetable oil if needed
  • 1 medium (6-ounce) onion, sliced ¼-inch thick (about 2 cups slices)
  • 8 eggs
  • Salt
  • A handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • A cupful Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
  • A dozen or so hot corn tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

The chile. Roast the poblano over an open flame or close up under a hot broiler, turning it until the skin is evenly blackened.  Cool until handleable, then rub off the blackened skin, tear it open and pull out the stem and seed pod, then quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds of bits of skin.  Cut into ¼-inch pieces.  If using chipotle chiles, set the slices aside to add later. 

Cook the chorizo and onion.  In a large (10-inch) non-stick skillet, cook the chorizo over medium heat for a couple of minutes, breaking up the clumps, until it begins to render its fat.  If little comes, add a little vegetable oil, so that fat or oil covers most of the skillet.  Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is softened and beginning to brown and the chorizo is cooked through, about 8 minutes longer.  

The eggs. While the onion is cooking, crack the eggs into a medium-size bowl and beat just until the yolk and white are thoroughly mixed—it shouldn’t still be streaky nor should it be beaten long enough to become foamy.  Season with a generous ½ teaspoon salt.  

The scramble. Because I like to scramble eggs slow and low, I turn the heat down almost to medium-low at this point.  When the onion and chorizo are about ready, stir in the chile (poblano or chipotle) and cook for a minute or 2.  Add the eggs to the pan, then start the gentle scramble, using a silicone spatula to slowly and deliberately scrape up the cooked eggs from the sides, moving it toward the center and letting the uncooked egg run into the open spaces. When the eggs are barely set (they will still moist looking), remove the pan from the heat, gently stir a couple more times, letting the heat of the pan finish the cooking, and you’re ready to serve with a sprinkling of cilantro, delicious salsa and warm tortillas.