Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs

After last night’s meat-fest, I wanted a more vegetarian kind of Sunday night meal (except it is really Monday…oh long weekends!) As I looked through the fridge and stumbled upon some sweet potatoes, I remembered a brunch my family had 2 years ago at Mesa Grill, one of Bobby Flay’s NYC restaurants. It was the first time my parents met Z, and the casual Southwestern feel to the dining area made for the perfect place to meet the parents and drink Bloody Mary’s. For brunch I ordered Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Hash, with Poached Eggs and Green Chili Hollandaise. The dish was rich in flavors and “shazam”, and tonight I wanted to recreate my favorite elements for a dinner variation.

Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs (adapted from Bobby Flay)

2 sweet potatoes, diced in ~1/2 inch cubes

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 teaspoons agave nectar

Cilantro

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Boil the diced sweet potatoes until fork tender. Drain.

While potatoes are boiling, sautee onion, green pepper, and jalapeno until cooked.

Add half of the sweet potatoes to the onion-pepper mixture. Mash the other half with the sour cream and agave nectar, then add to the rest of the ingredients.

Mix all of the ingredients together, along with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, mushing the whole cubes of potatoes as well, until everything is well combined. Scoop out into a bowl. Now, form patties out of the mixture and pan fry until they become brown and crispy on the outside.

These sweet potato hash cakes will serve as the base of the dish. Now, just plop a poached egg on top, and you’re done!

Poaching an egg can seem daunting, but happens to be one of the skills I have mastered. It is my favorite way to eat an egg (and is how they served eggs Benedict eggs, yum!) and I learned at a young age how to make them perfectly cooked on the outside, perfectly runny in the middle. I will now divulge my secrets 🙂

How to Poach the Perfect Egg

You will need: one small saucepan, water, white vinegar, a small bowl, a slotted spoon, a time and eggs

1. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 – 2 tsp of white vinegar. Trick — this will keep the whites together when you put the eggs in!

2. Crack each egg individually into a small bowl. This will allow you to remove any shell, as well as ensure that the yolk has not been broke.

3. Using the small bowl, place the egg into the water. You literally bring the bowl to the water’s edge and slowly tip the egg in. The worst thing is to break the yolk when it is in the water; the egg is then done for! This is a good method so you are not just dropping it in, allowing more opportunities for yolk spillage.

4. Once the egg is in the water, turn down the heat to low and set the timer for 3 minutes. Use your slotted spoon to move the egg just slightly, so the white is not stuck to the bottom of the pan. After that, LEAVE IT! Don’t touch the egg, more opportunity for yolk breaking! The water may or may not come to a boil again. If it does, turn down the heat even more. If white foam begins to form with the boiling water, blow on it a little. It will cool it down and make the foam back off while not having to touch the egg.

5. Immediately your timer goes off, use your slotted spoon to scoop out the egg. Make sure most of the water runs off of it. Serve it as quickly after it cooks as you can. The egg with continue cooking, so if you wait too long you will have a hard yolk. If you like hard yolks, leave the egg in the water for longer (4-5 minutes). I am a fan of the runny yolk, so I have never done that before and cannot give you a specific time. But 3 minutes is runny yolk perfection.

6. Enjoy!

Mmmm…there is nothing like a poached egg! This was the perfect ending to our indulgent long weekend. The hash was great…spicy and sweet at the same time, and I love the crispy outside created by the last minute pan frying. I also scooped a little sour cream on top of the hash before adding the egg to add some coolness to the combination. This would also make a great brunch dish! One time I will also try adding chicken like Bobby Flay does in his original recipe, but this is a great vegetarian option!

Time to go and try to tackle my taxes…oy! I hope everyone had a great long weekend 🙂