Crispy Potato and Onion Hash with Fried Eggs

Name: Crispy Potato and Onion Hash with Fried Eggs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled; 2 medium Yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced; 3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp Fresh chives, finely chopped; 4 large Large eggs; 2 tbsp Unsalted butter; 3 tbsp Neutral oil; 1 tsp Smoked paprika; ½ tsp Garlic powder; to taste Flaky sea salt; to taste Black pepper

This is pure, honest breakfast food. Potatoes go in raw, get pressed down into a hot pan, and come out with shatteringly crisp edges and a soft, steamy centre. The onions caramelise underneath everything, adding a little sweetness to all that starchy crunch. Four fried eggs sit on top, their yolks still runny, ready to break and coat every bit of hash on the plate. No fancy technique required, just a hot pan and a little patience.

Ingredients

2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled
2 medium Yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Fresh chives, finely chopped
4 large Large eggs
2 tbsp Unsalted butter
3 tbsp Neutral oil
1 tsp Smoked paprika
½ tsp Garlic powder
to taste Flaky sea salt
to taste Black pepper

Instructions

Peel 2 lbs (900 g) russet potatoes and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater into a large mixing bowl. You want rough, shaggy shreds, not a fine mush.
Tip the grated potato onto a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and wring out as much liquid as you can. Really squeeze hard, twisting the bundle tighter and tighter. The more moisture you remove, the crispier the hash. Return the wrung-out potato to the bowl.
Halve and thinly slice 2 medium yellow onions. Add them straight to the bowl with the potato.
Mince 3 cloves garlic and add to the bowl along with 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, a generous pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Toss everything together with your hands until the potato and onion are evenly coated in the spices.
Set your large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tbsp neutral oil. Let it heat until a shred of potato dropped in sizzles immediately, about 2 minutes.
Tip the potato mixture into the pan and spread it into an even layer, pressing it down firmly with a spatula. You want it compact, not loose. Leave it completely alone for 10 minutes. Resist the urge to poke or stir. You are building a crust.
After 10 minutes, check the underside by lifting a corner with the spatula. It should be a deep mahogany brown, with edges that look lacy and set. If it's not there yet, give it 2 more minutes.
Now flip the hash. The easiest way: slide it onto a large plate, then invert the plate back over the pan so the browned side faces up. Press it back down with the spatula and cook for another 10 to 12 minutes until the second side is equally brown and the potato is cooked through (a skewer or knife tip slides in with zero resistance).
While the second side cooks, finely chop 2 tbsp fresh chives and set aside for serving.
When the hash is nearly done, melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in your medium frying pan over medium heat. Once it foams and the foam just starts to subside, crack in 4 large eggs one at a time. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook until the whites are fully set but the yolks are still liquid, about 3 minutes.
Cut the hash into four wedges or portions directly in the pan. Lay an egg on top of each portion, scatter over the chopped chives, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt and a few extra grinds of black pepper.