Huevos Motuleños (Motuleño Eggs)

The city of Motul near Mérida is where this recipe originated. This is Yucatan's version of huevos rancheros. The chiltomate is a very traditional Yucatecan tomato sauce; some cooks say that the tomatoes should just be grilled and never fried, and still others maintain that frying brings out additional flavor. In addition to breakfast, serve this as an accompaniment with some spicy grilled fish for a big, luscious Yucatán-style dinner.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tomatoes, grilled, peeled, chopped

1 habanero chile, seeds and stem removed, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chicken stock or water

10 corn tortillas, cut into eighths, fried, drained, and coarsely crushed by hand or substitute 3 cups coarsely crushed packaged corn tortilla chips

3 cups refried black beans, thinned with 3 tablespoons water

10 fried eggs

1 cup chopped boiled ham

1 1/2 cups cooked peas

1 1/2 cups crumbled queso blanco or substitute goat cheese or feta

Optional garnish: sliced bananas

Instructions

Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet and saute the onion for 1 minute, and then add the garlic, tomatoes, habanero chile, salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, adding chicken stock if the mixture gets too thick.

While this mixture is simmering, arrange the tortilla chips on a warm platter and cover them with the hot refried beans.

Top the beans with the fried eggs, ham, peas, and cover with the simmering tomato sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and serve.