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PrintThe Kit Carson Breakfast
The yam biscuits alone are worth a trip to Taos.
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How do we like to start our day in Taos? With breakfast at Doc Martin’s at The Historic Taos Inn. We’re always drawn to the Kit Carson breakfast — not just for its evocative name, but also for the poached eggs nestled on a yam biscuit, covered with red chile sauce, salsa fresca, and cheese, and served with a side of home fries. You gotta love it that Doc Martin’s uses only free-range eggs and organic flour, and that you can get your first latte or chai tea of the morning just steps from your eclectic hotel digs in the very heart of town.
"This recipe has been a staple, passed down over the years,” says Gayle Glanz, Doc Martin’s pastry chef. "The yams are a unique flavor of the Southwest, which is why we included it in our Kit Carson breakfast — our version of eggs Benedict, yet more reminiscent of the campfire days of the Old West.”
Yam biscuits (recipe follows)
Red chile sauce (recipe follows)
Eggs (two per person)
Cheddar cheese
Salsa fresca
Lettuce and sour cream for garnish
Breakfast potatoes
To prepare the Kit Carson, poach eggs to your liking. Slice a warm yam biscuit in half horizontally, place on a warm plate, and top each half with a tablespoon of hot red chile sauce (recipe below) and a poached egg. Top with more chile sauce and grated cheddar cheese. Place briefly in pre-heated oven or under broiler to melt the cheese. Serve with breakfast potatoes and a garnish of salsa fresca, a chiffonade of lettuce, and a touch of sour cream.
Doc Martin’s Yam Biscuits
(Makes 12 large biscuits)
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
8 ounces butter, cold and cubed
½ cup whole milk
3 cups yams, cooked and mashed
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until the consistency resembles corn meal. In a separate medium bowl, mix milk and yams together; then add to dry ingredients and blend.
With a standard ice cream scoop, spoon batter onto a parchment or greased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 18 minutes.
Red Chile Sauce
(makes 2¼ gallons)
Ingredients
2 gallons water
2½ cups dried hot red chiles
2½ ounces New Mexico red chile powder
1½ tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
Kosher salt to taste
½ pound all-purpose flour, toasted
2 cups water
Directions
Seed and stem dried chiles and soak in warm water for 45 minutes or until soft. Drain and blend in food processor.
Add chile powder, cumin, and oregano to 2 cups of water in a pot; bring water to a simmer. Add New Mexico chile purée and simmer for 15 minutes.
Combine flour and water to make white wash with whisk; strain to ensure there are no lumps.
While whisking simmering chile, slowly add white wash to thicken to sauce consistency. Simmer another 45 minutes, then adjust with salt to taste. Cool; reheat to serve.
Recipes courtesy Doc Martin’s Restaurant.
FYI: www.taosinn.com.
See more about Taos in the June 2010 issue.
