It's all about those crispy edges.
Crispy sweet potato nuggets, smoky charred onions and peppers, a gorgeously runny egg. . . a great breakfast hash is a perfect symphony of crisp edges and deep, rich flavor, and it isn’t as easy to achieve as you might think. But if you follow a few straight-forward steps, you’ll find that it’s not that difficult either.
Here are 5 easy tips to making the perfect breakfast hash:
1. Precook the potatoes. It might seem like a silly extra step, but simmering your potatoes just until tender is essential. Once they hit the pan, you want to be focusing on crisping them up, not cooking them through. A word of warning, though: a ½” potato cube only takes 2-4 minutes to cook once the water starts to simmer. Don’t leave them in too long, or you’ll end up with a mash instead of a hash.
2. Cook in batches. Crispy edges only happen when food has room to breathe. Don’t crowd the pan. If you can’t get all the sweet potatoes to fit in a single layer, do two batches.
3. Avoid too much flipping. The only way to get that deep browning is to allow your potatoes to have prolonged contact with the pan. In other words, don’t stir too much! Once the potatoes are tossed in the oil and spread into a single layer, leave them be for AT LEAST 5 minutes before you even think about disturbing them. Set a timer if you have to. Trust me—it’s worth it.
4. Be generous with the seasoning. There’s nothing worse than a bland potato, so don’t be shy with the salt. Season the water you cook the potatoes in, add a little to the pan when they’re frying, and make sure to taste the hash at the end so you can add a little extra salt if needed before you crack in the eggs.
5. Bake the eggs. A skillet of crispy hash studded with pockets of egg is a real show-stopper—and that gorgeous runny yolk is the perfect sauce for the hash. But do yourself (and everyone else) a favor and don’t try to cook the eggs completely on the stove. It’s almost impossible to get the top of the egg (you know that gelatinous white bit?) set with the heat coming only from the bottom and traveling through the hash. Throwing the skillet in the oven for 5-7 minutes will guarantee enough radial heat to gently set the top of the egg and still give you that gorgeous runny yolk.
There’s definitely an art to making a good hash, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult or unachievable. Follow these tips, practice some patience, and you’ll be sitting down to a breakfast that looks like it comes straight out of a platonic log cabin.
Enjoy!
Moroccan Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
(Serves 3)
2 medium sweet potatoes, about ¾ pound, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
4 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. paprika
3 eggs
Cilantro, for serving
Method
Combine sweet potatoes and ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a small pot and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer until just tender, 2-4 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large, oven-safe skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add drained sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly in the oil. Spread into a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until browned and crisp on the bottom, 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon kosher salt over sweet potatoes, turn, and continue to cook until crispy all round, 5 minutes more. Remove to a small plate and set aside.
Reduce pan heat to medium and add onion, red pepper, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until softened, 3-4 minutes, then add chickpeas, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Return sweet potatoes to the pan and toss to incorporate.
Make 3 evenly spaced wells in the hash and crack an egg into each. Drizzle eggs with remaining tablespoon oil and season with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Transfer pan to the oven and bake until eggs are set, 6-8 minutes.
Top with cilantro and serve immediately.
Originally posted October ?, 2022.