Recipe: Enrique Olvera’s Eggs with Hoja Santa & Ranchera Salsa

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Chef Enrique Olveras’ Eggs with Hoja Santa & Ranchera Salsa (Photos by Araceli Paz)

EO portrait by Ana Lorenzana thumbnail
Chef Enrique Olvera (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

The question of authenticity is one that is often raised when we talk about ethnic cuisine and the contemporary reinterpretations of those long-standing traditions by some of today’s chefs. For chef Enrique Olvera, there can be nothing more personally authentic than internalizing and reinterpreting the culture and traditions that define him as Mexican through the lens of own life experiences. It has been through this process of self-discovery and re-conceiving traditional recipes that he has come to truly understand the heart of Mexican food.

His debut book, Mexico from the Inside Out, is an homage to his homeland, a country of contrasts, at the soul of which lies its food. His two restaurants, the recently opened Cosme in New York and Pujol in Mexico have earned him critical acclaim, with the latter ranking Number 16 among San Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Chef Enrique suggests that his cookbook be used as a basis for inspiration. Combining the foundational ingredients of Mexican cuisine—tortillas and salsa—he has shared with us his contemporary take on huevos rancheros. This go-to recipe for Eggs with Hoja Santa & Ranchera Sauce is one that he says that he could easily eat everyday if he had to.