These potatoes are buttery, golden, and crisp with a wonderful flavor. Yukon golds are waxy and fry well, finishing with a beautiful golden flesh with browned edges. It’s important to pan-fry them in clarified butter and a little vegetable oil, a mix that can withstand the high heat required to get the potatoes crisp and browned without burning.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 tacos

　　3 large poblano chiles, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154)

　　2 serrano chiles, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154)

　　1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter (page 156)

　　1/2 cup vegetable oil

　　1 1/2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes (with skin), cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　1 white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　1 teaspoon green chile powder

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　12 large eggs

　　4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　12 (5 1/2-inch) soft white corn tortillas (page 13), for serving

　　Garnish: Chopped green onions (green part only) or chopped chives

　　

Step 1

Cut the prepared poblano and serrano chiles into 1/4-inch-thick strips (rajas); set aside.

　　

Step 2

Have a bowl lined with paper towels ready. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add 1 1/2 cups of the clarified butter plus the 1/2 cup vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on a deep-fat thermometer. Add the potatoes and fry until golden, stirring them once or twice, about 12 minutes (they will lose about one-third of their volume). The temperature will drop when you add the potatoes; when it returns to 350°F, decrease the heat slightly. Be careful not to burn the potatoes or the oil—the butter-oil mixture should show small, not large, bubbles.

　　

Step 3

While the potatoes fry, in a skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons clarified butter over low heat and sauté the diced onion until it begins to caramelize, about 10 minutes. When the onion is fully cooked, increase the heat to medium-high and cook a little more to brown the pieces. When the potatoes are done, transfer them to the paper towel–lined bowl to drain off any excess oil. When they are drained, but still hot, transfer to a serving bowl, dust with chile powder and salt, then add the cooked onions and poblano and serrano chile strips and toss to mix all together; keep warm.

　　

Step 4

Whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter until the whites and yolks are mixed well. In a large, heavy nonstick skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter, pour in the egg mixture, and cook, turning constantly with a spatula, until the eggs are just set, but still very wet, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl so they don’t cook further, cover, and keep warm.

　　

Step 5

To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the potato mixture equally between the tortillas and top with scrambled eggs, chopped green onion, and crema. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some potatoes and eggs, top with green onion and crema, fold, and eat right away.

　　Tacos by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Copyright © 2009 by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Mark Miller is the acclaimed chef-founder of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has started and owned thirteen different restaurants on three continents from 1979 to 2008. He is the author of ten books with nearly 1 million copies in print, including Tacos, The Great Chile Book, The Great Salsa Book, and Coyote Cafe. Mark currently works in International Culinary Consulting and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Benjamin Hargett is a travel-loving chef who has cooked in Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, and the United States, where he worked with Mark Miller at the Coyote Café for many years.