Chilaquiles verde a magical Mexican meal

For a food writer, one of the best things about going on vacation is not having to cook. Then again, because your world revolves around testing recipes, vacation also can mean work because you’re bound to eat a dish or two you’ll want to re-create.

At least that’s what happened to me on a recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wy. My husband and I braved the snowy Teton Pass into Idaho in my sister’s SUV so we could spend a few hours snowshoeing at the Grand Targhee Resort. Famished after clomping atop the snow, we stopped at The Provision Kitchen in the tiny town of Driggs for a little well-earned apres ski before heading back up the pass to Wyoming. I love anything with salsa verde, so the restaurant’s chilaquiles immediately caught my eye.

If you’ve never had it, chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast offering in which totopos — corn tortillas that have been cut into quarters and fried — are smothered in green or red salsa, then topped with garnishes such as queso fresco, black or refried beans, onion, fried or scrambled eggs and sliced avocado. It’s hearty, incredibly flavorful, pretty to look at and for the cook, super easy to make.

A cross between nachos and enchiladas, the dish is thought to date back to the time of the Aztecs, though an actual recipe didn’t appear until 1898, in Encarnacion Pinedo’s “The Spanish Cook.” It’s a great way to use up leftover tortillas or tortilla chips that would otherwise go to waste.

Served at The Provision Kitchen as a breakfast dish, mine came with a couple crispy pieces of bacon and an over-easy egg. Chorizo or pulled chicken or pork or beef barbacoa are other common toppings.

If you prefer red sauce, substitute about 1 ½ pounds of tomatoes for the tomatillos, and add 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth after they’ve been boiled and pureed/ Then fry it in a couple tablespoons of oil for a few minutes to thicken.

Chilaquiles Verde

Serves 4. From Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

• For sauce

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed (about 10 medium-large)

2 or 3 jalapeños, stemmed and seeded

½ medium white onion

Large handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

Juice ½ lime

Kosher salt

• For bowl

12 corn tortillas

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

For serving

½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

¼ cup sour cream, thinned with a little lime juice

½ cup queso fresco

4 fried or sunny-side up eggs

½ red onion, thinly sliced

8 sliced crispy fried bacon

1 avocado, seeded and thinly sliced

Place tomatillos, jalapeños and onion in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add enough water to completely cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are cooked through and soft, around 8-10 minutes. (Tomatillos will change color from bright to pale green.)

Transfer tomatillos, jalapeños and onion to a blender using a slotted spoon. Add cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and a generous pinch of salt and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if desired. Set aside.

Stack tortillas on top of each other and cut into eighths. Heat oil in a large frying pan, then fry wedges until brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, then place back into the pan.

Pour salsa verde on top, and toss gently to combine.

Portion tortillas into four bowls and top each with equal amounts of black beans. Drizzle sour cream on top, followed by equal amounts of queso fresco. Garnish each bowl with a fried or sunny-side up egg, sliced onion, 2 slices bacon and sliced avocado. Serve immediately.