Costa Rican gallo pinto – rice and beans with fried eggs

1. Gallo pinto is best made from leftover day-old cooked rice and cooked black beans: cook the rice the day before and refrigerate it, and keep the beans with their cooking liquid (tinned are fine, but keep the liquid).

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and soften the finely chopped onion and pepper for 5 minutes; add the crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute.

3. Add the beans with about 100 ml of their liquid and cook for 3-4 minutes until the liquid thickens slightly.

4. Add the rice and the salsa Lizano (Worcestershire sauce can stand in) and toss until the rice is evenly "speckled" by the beans – hence the name: spotted rooster.

5. Meanwhile fry the eggs in a little oil in another pan and season with salt.

6. Serve the gallo pinto sprinkled with chopped coriander, topped with the fried eggs.

Tip: In Costa Rica and Nicaragua this is the classic breakfast: often eaten with plantain, soured cream and a cup of coffee – and the two countries still argue over who invented it.