Molletes with pico de gallo salsa and gratin cheese

This is a very traditional Mexican breakfast or lunch eaten by students.

Molletes with pico de gallo salsa and gratin cheese Credit: Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Urquiza

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 4 small baguettes (15 cm long)
• ¼ cup (60 g) butter
• 2 cups (400 g) refried beans, seasoned
• 2 cups (200 g) grated Chihuahua, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese
• 1–2 cups (250–475 ml) Mexican salsa or pico de gallo (see below)

Pico de gallo salsa

• 2 large, ripe tomatoes large, seeded and chopped
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Cut the baguettes in half lengthwise and remove the excess crumb. Spread the butter over the cut sides and toast them a little, crumb-side down, in a frying pan or skillet. Spread a generous layer of refried beans then grated cheese over each half. Place on an oven tray and bake the molletes until the cheese melts.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the salsa ingredients in a bowl, with salt to taste. Serve the hot molletes with the salsa.

 

Images and text from The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte, photography by Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Urquiza. Published by Phaidon (RRP $74.95).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.