Skillet Potato and Kale Hash, Eggs, and Basil Aioli

This delicious skillet breakfast happens at least once a week in our kitchen, and I usually make extras to eat through the week with quinoa or on a salad, or to go with an extra fried egg and steak for Jared!  This weekend we’re doing a version for a big Labor Day Brunch with friends.  We’ll be serving it with spelt toast and avocado, alongside chia seed pudding, banana bread and lots of coffee!

Ingredients for 2

For the Hash

4 cups diced white/sweet potatoes (or sweet and any other root veggies)

2 cups roughly chopped kale

½ red onion, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (optional but nice!)

Lots of pink salt and pepper

Coconut oil or any other cooking oil

For the Aioli

1/2 C fresh basil, chopped

Juice of half a big lemon

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 egg yolks

A good pinch of pink salt

1/3 + 1T cup olive oil

1/3 + 1T cup avocado oil (this has a clean neutral taste so the end product isn’t strongly olive oil)

To serve: Sliced avocado, 2-4 eggs, salt and pepper.

To make the hash: Jared is a white potato guy so if we’re doing a white potato hash I use this method (the sweet potato version just cuts a few steps and starts below!): Start by adding the diced white potatoes to a pot of boiling water large enough to immerse all the chunks.  Bring back to a simmer and cook the potatoes for about 5-10 minutes or until they are just tender to a fork, but not falling apart.

Drain them completely and set aside.  Meanwhile, add 3 tablespoons of oil to a skillet (THIS is the one we love) on a low to medium heat, add in the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly so they soften but don’t burn.  Now heat the pan up (a medium to high heat is perfect) and add in the potato chunks. You want them to cook to be fluffy on the inside with some nice crisping on the outside and to get this, you want to toss the potatoes regularly but not too often.

(If you are using just sweet potatoes or other root veggies you can start at this point and it will take about 30 minutes to cook them from here.) So after adding them to the pan, along with the rosemary and a generous pinch of salt, gently press them down into the pan, leave them for a few minutes to crisp up, then toss them and do the same again to crisp another side.  Taste them and add more salt as needed to taste.  Keep repeating this until you have a good even crispy coat and the insides are soft though – about 15-20 minutes. They will break down just slightly in the process, that’s ok.  When they are ready, finally stir in the kale for just long enough to wilt it, about 1-2 minutes, and now you are ready to serve.

Either while the hash is cooking, or when it’s done it’s time to cook your eggs. For this dish I fried them in another skillet on a medium heat.  Crack them into a bowl one by one, then tip them (one by one) into the skillet. I like to cook them uncovered until the white is almost solid then pop on a lid until the white is fully cooked but the yolk still runny, for the perfect runny egg.  When they are done slip them out of the pan onto your hash.  You can also preheat an oven to 350F, and make little wells to house the eggs.  Then crack in the eggs, and put the whole thing in the oven until the eggs are cooked to your liking – about 5-10 minutes.  I use this method when I’m cooking for a crowd – no individual egg watching or flipping!

For the aioli: (Note – This can be made in advance for ease!) Add the basil, lemon, garlic, Dijon, salt, and egg yolks to the blender and blend briefly until they are combined. With the blender on medium, slowly pour in the two oils (through the hole in the blender lid, with the blender running on medium) until they are fully incorporated. Blend until combined then use right away, or refrigerate.

When you are ready to serve, slice the avocado onto the skillet and add a big dollop of aioli.  You can now spoon the hash and eggs out onto plates or serve directly in the skillet.  I like to either serve in individual 6” skillets or for a crowd, serve the whole skillet on the table so people can tuck into as much as they want, and because skillets are pretty on the table!

 

 

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