I haven’t touched a palm tree in many years. For me, a palm tree is my centering thought, the one thing I visualize when I’m tense or stressed. It was the image I was going to use during labor, but now it’s one I use during everyday life. It had been too long since I felt the bark of the palm. And I don’t intend to let time slip away before I’m shaded by a palm tree again.








Hotel Riu, Mazatlán, Mexico

I have long been a fan of Huevos Rancheros, that popular Mexican dish consisting of eggs served with a fried corn tortilla and topped with a spicy chili or tomato sauce. But I had to go to Mazatlán, Mexico in person to experience “divorced eggs” known as Huevos Divorciados.

This dish, a spin-off of Huevos Rancheros, features two eggs situated on opposite sides of the plate, each egg preoccupied and bathed in a sauce of its own – usually one adorned with green chilies and tomatillos while the egg on the other side of the plate is dressed in a saucy red chili creation. The plate is further decorated with delicacies such as refried beans and rice, strong cheese, pinto beans, guacamole, or rings of onion. These accompaniments are often placed down the middle of the plate, further separating the two divorced eggs, which have so obviously gone their separate ways. Instead of two salsas, I used one salsa on one side and guacamole on the other.

And though I can’t bring the palms or the sand home, I can bring the food home to share.

Recipe for Huevos Divorciados

Serves 6

For the salsa:
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
½ onion
½ hot green chile or 1 teaspoon canned green chilies
3 sprigs cilantro leaves
½ red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ lemon, squeezed

For the guacamole:
½ large ripe avocado
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
1 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoons Asian chile sauce
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt

For the tortillas:
6 tortillas, cut into rounds that will fit a muffin tin

For the poached eggs:
12 eggs, poached

Prepare the salsa:
Put all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until chunky. Drain.

Prepare the guacamole:
Put all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until smooth.

Prepare the tortillas:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the tortillas into rounds that will fit a muffin tin. Carefully push a round into a muffin cup. Bake until golden, about 5 minutes.

Prepare the poached eggs:
Poach 12 eggs.

To assemble:
Put the poached egg into the baked tortilla cup. Top with salsa on half of the cups. Top with guacamole on the other half. Garnish each plate with refried beans and cilantro along with a tortilla cup of each type. Serve immediately.



Tips
If you don't feel like making this at home and if you happen to be in Ottawa, Canada, you should check out the Huevos Rancheros at Edgar. The best in the city.



And if you're in Mazatlán, Mexico, you can get this dish at several places. Here is the one I had at the Shrimp Bucket in Olas Altas.



If you like this post, share it!


If you like this blog, you can subscribe and get updates automatically.

Click here to learn about subscribing.

Click here to subscribe.

To see an index of recipes, click here.
To see a visual index of recipes, click here.
To see an index of Julia Child-inspired recipes, click here.

Disclosure: I would like to thank www.gomazatlan.com for inviting me to the 2011 Gran Fiesta Amigos. All stories, opinions and passion for all things Mexico shared on my blog are completely my own.