Ingredients
Beans
- 500 gcooked black beans, with liquid
- 1onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoonsoil or lard
- 1 teaspoonsalt
Plantain
- 3very ripe plantains
- oil, for frying
Eggs
- 8eggs
- butter or oil, for frying
- salt and black pepper
To serve
- corn tortillas, warm
- crema, thick soured cream
- queso fresco, crumbled
- avocado slices
- chirmol or salsa
- coffee
Directions
- Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Fry the chopped onion for six minutes. Add the cooked beans and their liquid. Mash them thoroughly with a masher. Some cooks blend them completely smooth. Season them well with plenty of salt. Cook the mash over a medium heat.
- Stir it constantly as it thickens. It goes from loose to thick to very stiff. Shake the pan to roll it over on itself. It forms itself into a thick log.
- Peel all of the ripe plantains. Cut them into thick diagonal slices. Heat oil in a pan to a shallow depth. Fry them for about three minutes a side. They should be deep golden and caramelised.
- Lift them out onto kitchen paper. Fry them gently in a little butter. Season them with salt and black pepper. Cook them to whoever is eating them.
- Warm them on a dry hot comal first. Give them about thirty seconds a side. Wrap them in a cloth to keep them warm. Cold tortillas are a poor thing.
- Set the rolled beans on one side. Set the cooked eggs beside them. Lay the fried plantain alongside. Add several slices of ripe avocado. Spoon crema over the beans now. Crumble queso fresco over everything.
- Add a spoonful of chirmol or salsa. Serving it is done hot with tortillas. Set the warm tortillas alongside in a cloth. The beans keep three days refrigerated.
Technique
- Chapin is what Guatemalans call themselves, and this is the standard breakfast served in comedores across the country.
- Frijoles volteados means turned-over beans, after the way the fried bean mash is rolled over on itself in the pan and slid out as a thick log.
- The plantains must be black-skinned and very ripe, since green plantain is starchy and would be entirely wrong.
Substitutions
- Soured cream thinned with a little milk stands in for Guatemalan crema.
- Feta or any mild crumbly fresh cheese works in place of queso fresco.
Variations
- Scrambled eggs with tomato and onion are as common as fried ones.
- Some comedores serve whole beans in their broth rather than the fried mash.
- Chirmol, the roasted tomato salsa, is the usual accompaniment.
History
The standard Guatemalan breakfast of eggs, black beans, fried plantain, cream and tortillas, served in comedores nationwide.
Frequently asked questions
What is Desayuno chapín?
Desayuno chapín is a breakfast from Guatemala: eggs, black beans, fried plantains, cheese, and tortillas. The standard Guatemalan breakfast of eggs, black beans, fried plantain, cream and tortillas, served in comedores nationwide.
How long does Desayuno chapín take to make?
Desayuno chapín takes 20 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Desayuno chapín?
Yes, within limits. Soured cream thinned with a little milk stands in for Guatemalan crema. Feta or any mild crumbly fresh cheese works in place of queso fresco.
What is the most important thing to get right in Desayuno chapín?
The plantains must be black-skinned and very ripe, since green plantain is starchy and would be entirely wrong.
