I rarely ask for ketchup with my breakfast because of the variety of chile sauces, chipotle cayenne hollandaise, hot sauces and tangy salsas offered on Southwest breakfast menus. Cafe Pasqual’s in Santa Fe NM, Chorizo Burrito. Michael’s Kitchen in Taos NM, the Tortilla Rellenada. Jailhouse Cafe in Moab Utah, Southwestern Eggs Florentine. Absolute Cafe in Mancos CO, The Stack and Huevos Rancheros Christmas. Tesuque Village Market in Tesuque NM, Carnitas Breakfast Burrito and Breakfast Tacos. These are some of the places where I learned to add chiles and not stop there — pile on the salsas, and smother everything with a big ladle of chile sauce as often as possible.
I buy cage-free farm fresh eggs from James Ranch, located ten-minutes north of Durango, Colorado. Their chickens have the run of the place. No life of never knowing green grass for these guys.
Julie James Ott and her husband John Ott make sure their happy hens and roosters have free range of their tree farm, eat hand delivered local grains, and drink clean water from the Animas River that runs through the 400 acre ranch property. When I bought my first carton, Julie said to look for the golden yolks, they are a gorgeous deep yellow-orange golden sunset color.
The shells are beautiful cream, tan, terra cotta and pastel colors.
One of the hens lays sage green eggs. If you’re lucky and get one in your carton….
See the yolk at the right top? It’s from the green egg. Always a deeper sunset golden orange than the others.
Crema Mexicana (Grade A Table Cream) is like heavy whipping cream. When whisked with the fresh eggs….well, I’d like to paint the ceiling of a porch that color so that no matter the weather it would always be brilliant yellow overhead.
James Ranch also produces artisan cheeses, my favorite is the aged pungent Belford. When I found it in my cheese bin, there was just enough left for the inside filling of the omelette. So I used an aged white cheddar for topping. Monterey Jack is also a great filling cheese, and a salty cotija on top is never a bad idea.
Two roasted green chiles for the filling. Some of you from the Southwest are asking “why only two?” Yep, I can hear you. Fill it with as many as you like, this omelette can take it.
Here are instructions on how to roast and prepare green chiles. The steps are: Roast. Steam. Remove the stems, skins and seeds. Then chop.
For those who are new to green chiles, they come in mild, medium, hot and extra hot. With names like New Mexican green chile, Anaheim chile pepper, Hatch, Sandia, Big Jim. For this recipe I like medium. Because for me it’s the perfect combination of heat without overpowering that distinct herbie chile flavor. I know many people who can take extra hot and still taste the chile. My friend Chile Sage can down a heaping spoonful of habanero hot sauce like it’s sweet honey. But anything over medium cancels out my taste buds for hours.
Here is a previous post with step by step instructions and photos on how to make the Green Chile Sauce. It calls for 8 chiles and makes 4 cups sauce. More than you will need for this, but I find that if I’m taking the time to roast and prep chiles it’s best to make a big batch. And will surely be gone within a few days at my house.
I use a nonstick pan. Don’t you love it when the butter melts and makes a little heart shape? So encouraging when you’re about to flip an omelette.
When the butter melts turn the heat to low (that’s a 3 out of 10 on my stove) and add the egg mixture. On a busy morning I’ve been tempted to turn the heat up a little to get them cooking faster but low and slow is the key. Swirling the pan, tipping it side to side allows the eggs to begin to cook evenly. Then I take a fork and with slow circular motions, move the egg around. And continue tipping the pan as well. You don’t want scrambled eggs, this is like making a thick eggy pancake. It needs to hold together.
When the center just turns from liquid to firm, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped chiles and cheese. No need to swirl now, as it will set up quickly. By lifting up the sides with a spatula I check for when it’s ready to flip. At first the edges are soft and fall apart easily. Then they firm up. At which point with a large spatula, I fold it over twice into a roll. Or fold once into a half moon shape if you like. Then cover with a lid, remove from heat and allow to continue cooking for 2 minutes. Ideally, an omelette is light yellow with no brown. Browning makes the eggs tough. I’m from the ‘cook as desired’ school because some people are sensitive to the possibility of raw egg. If you want to cook yours well done and it browns a little, that’s perfectly fine by me.
Top with green chile sauce, grated cheese, diced tomato, chopped scallion. This fresh 4 egg omelette cut in half, serves two. For breakfast, lunch or dinner. I’d order that.
[gmc_recipe 494]
