Chilaquiles

Instructions

Wrap the tomatillos in heavy duty aluminum foil and set them on a comal or cast iron skillet over a stovetop burner. Roast them for about 15 to 20 minutes, then take them off the heat and set aside.

Roast the dried chiles and the garlic directly on the comal. The chiles take less than a minute, while the garlic needs longer, so pull the chiles off early to keep them from burning.

Blend the tomatillos, chiles, garlic, water, salt and pepper for a few minutes, until the salsa is completely smooth with no pieces floating in it. This makes more salsa than the dish needs, so save the rest as a condiment.

Heat enough vegetable oil in a frying pan to deep fry the tortillas. The oil is ready when a piece of tortilla starts frying rapidly the moment it goes in.

Fry the tortilla pieces until they turn chestnut brown, not dark or burnt. Pour most of the oil out of the pan, keeping a little for the rest of the cooking, and save the poured-off oil.

Crack the egg into the pan and scramble it, folding the fried tortilla strips through it. Season with salt and pepper if you like, then move the mixture to a plate.

Put a little of the saved oil back in the pan and heat it. Cook the diced onion for a few minutes until soft, then add the salsa and sauté for a minute or two, thinning it with a splash of water if it gets too thick.

Return the tortilla and egg mixture to the pan and cook for about a minute, just long enough for the tortillas to soak up some sauce. Add the cheese before plating and serve right away.