Breakfast Hash with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •14-inch cast iron skillet (or two 10-inch skillets)
• •Large rimmed baking sheet
• •Large pot for parboiling
• •Sturdy metal spatula
• •Lid or aluminum foil for covering

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the vegetables

   Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Spread the bell peppers, onions, and poblano on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the edges char and the onions turn golden with spots of deep caramel. The peppers should be tender but not collapsed. The kitchen will smell sweet and faintly smoky. Set aside.

   Use two baking sheets if your vegetables look crowded. Overcrowding causes steaming instead of roasting, and steamed vegetables won't develop those essential charred edges.
2. 2

   Parboil the potatoes

   While vegetables roast, place the cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by two inches. Add a generous palmful of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife but still hold their shape. They should offer slight resistance at the center. Drain thoroughly and spread on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Moisture is the enemy of crispy potatoes.

   Starting potatoes in cold salted water ensures even cooking from edge to center. Hot water shocks the exterior and creates mushy outsides with raw centers.
3. 3

   Season the potatoes

   Transfer the dried potatoes to a large bowl. Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, a teaspoon of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss gently until every cube wears a light coating of spice. The paprika will turn them rust-colored, a preview of the golden crust to come.

4. 4

   Crisp the potatoes

   Heat a 14-inch cast iron skillet or two 10-inch skillets over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let it foam and subside. Add the seasoned potatoes in a single layer. Here's where patience matters. Let them sit undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottoms turn deeply golden. Only then should you flip sections with a sturdy spatula. Continue cooking, turning occasionally, for another 12 to 15 minutes until crisp on multiple sides. Listen for the sizzle. It should sound steady and confident, not sputtering or silent.

   Resist the urge to stir constantly. Every time you move the potatoes, you reset the crisping clock. Trust the process and let the Maillard reaction do its work.
5. 5

   Add roasted vegetables

   Fold the roasted peppers and onions into the crispy potatoes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and toss everything together. The butter will coat the hash and help unify the flavors. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, allowing some of the vegetables to pick up additional color from the hot pan. Taste and adjust seasoning. The hash should be robustly seasoned, ready to stand up to the richness of egg yolks.

6. 6

   Create wells for eggs

   Using the back of a spoon, create 8 evenly spaced wells in the hash, pushing the potatoes and vegetables aside to expose the bottom of the pan. These wells will cradle your eggs. Make them wide enough that the whites have room to spread slightly before setting.

7. 7

   Cook the eggs

   Crack one egg into each well. Season the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the skillet with a lid or large sheet of aluminum foil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. The whites should set completely while the yolks remain gloriously runny. Check at 4 minutes by gently pressing a yolk with your fingertip. It should feel like a water balloon, yielding but intact.

   For a crowd that prefers firmer yolks, cook covered for 6 to 7 minutes. The beauty of serving family-style is that you can position runny eggs toward those who want them.
8. 8

   Garnish and serve

   Remove the lid and scatter the sliced scallions and chopped parsley over the entire skillet. The green against the golden potatoes and orange yolks makes this dish beautiful. Bring the skillet directly to the table on a wooden trivet or folded kitchen towel. Serve with hot sauce alongside and crusty bread to soak up every last bit of yolk and rendered butter.

Chef Tips

• •Yukon Golds are essential here. Their waxy texture holds up to parboiling and crisps beautifully. Russets fall apart, and red potatoes lack the creamy interior you want.
• •This hash welcomes additions. Crumbled breakfast sausage, diced ham, or crispy bacon can be folded in with the roasted vegetables. For a meatless version, the dish stands proudly on its own.
• •Smoked paprika brings depth that regular paprika cannot match. It's worth keeping in your pantry. The Spanish varieties, both sweet and hot, are superior to domestic options.
• •Serve with a simple green salad dressed in sharp vinaigrette to cut through the richness. A holiday breakfast deserves something fresh alongside the indulgence.
• •Coffee, obviously. Strong and hot. Or if it's that kind of holiday morning, a pitcher of Bloody Marys won't go amiss.

Advance Preparation

• •Roasted vegetables can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before adding to the hash, or warm briefly in the skillet.
• •Potatoes can be parboiled, drained, and refrigerated overnight. Spread them on a sheet pan so they don't stick together. Cold parboiled potatoes actually crisp better than warm ones.
• •Season the parboiled potatoes with spices the night before and store covered in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to penetrate the surface.
• •For large gatherings, prepare multiple batches of roasted vegetables and parboiled potatoes. On the morning of serving, work in two skillets simultaneously to feed a crowd efficiently.
• •The completed hash (without eggs) can be kept warm in a 200-degree oven for up to 30 minutes. Add eggs just before serving for the best presentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 435g)