Nopales Scramble
Photo: Iain Bagwell
This easy breakfast or supper dish takes a cue from Mexico, where nopales are popular with eggs, and from America, where we like to add roasted potatoes.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Preheat oven to 475°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. On parchment, toss potato, onion, 1/2 tbsp. oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Set chile and tomato in corner of sheet pan. Bake, turning vegetables once, until browned, about 20 minutes.
Step 2
2
In a frying pan, sauté nopales over high heat with 1/2 tbsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt until pan is mostly dry, 3 to 6 minutes, then reduce heat and cook until barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes more. Set aside.
Step 3
3
Peel, stem, and seed chile; peel tomato. Chop both. In a bowl, whisk eggs with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and the pepper.
Step 4
4
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp. oil and the cumin; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in potato mixture, chile, tomato, and nopales. Cook until hot. Pour in eggs and cook, stirring often, until set, 3 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top; stir a few times until it melts. Serve with hot sauce.
Step 5
5
Nopales Basics:
Step 6
6
BUY. Some supermarkets and Latino markets sell cactus with the spines, and others sell it de-stickered and ready to use--whole or cut up. When buying whole pads, look for ones that are smooth, crisp, and small to medium size.
Step 7
7
PREP. To remove spines from pads, put on dish gloves. Scrape a knife almost flat down the length of both sides of pads to shave off spines and barbed, fuzzy dots. Pare rims with a vegetable peeler. Trim bases; rinse pads.
Step 8
8
COOK. Once nopales hit the heat, they release a sticky juice (like okra), but it cooks off.
Ingredients
1 large thin-skinned potato, peeled, quartered, and thickly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup very coarsely chopped red onion
About 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 large poblano chile
1 large Roma tomato
1 cup diced nopales (see "Nopales Basics," below)
6 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Hot sauce
Directions
Step 1
1
Preheat oven to 475°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. On parchment, toss potato, onion, 1/2 tbsp. oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Set chile and tomato in corner of sheet pan. Bake, turning vegetables once, until browned, about 20 minutes.
Step 2
2
In a frying pan, sauté nopales over high heat with 1/2 tbsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt until pan is mostly dry, 3 to 6 minutes, then reduce heat and cook until barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes more. Set aside.
Step 3
3
Peel, stem, and seed chile; peel tomato. Chop both. In a bowl, whisk eggs with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and the pepper.
Step 4
4
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp. oil and the cumin; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in potato mixture, chile, tomato, and nopales. Cook until hot. Pour in eggs and cook, stirring often, until set, 3 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top; stir a few times until it melts. Serve with hot sauce.
Step 5
5
Nopales Basics:
Step 6
6
BUY. Some supermarkets and Latino markets sell cactus with the spines, and others sell it de-stickered and ready to use--whole or cut up. When buying whole pads, look for ones that are smooth, crisp, and small to medium size.
Step 7
7
PREP. To remove spines from pads, put on dish gloves. Scrape a knife almost flat down the length of both sides of pads to shave off spines and barbed, fuzzy dots. Pare rims with a vegetable peeler. Trim bases; rinse pads.
Step 8
8
COOK. Once nopales hit the heat, they release a sticky juice (like okra), but it cooks off.
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