Have you noticed how the "Theory of Everything Breakfast' has been challenged over the years. Pancakes, eggs and bacon, once perceived as morning foods only have now found their way onto our lunch or dinner time plates, up ending everything we had once believed, everything we learned about which foods should be served when. Whoever is responsible for causing this seismic shift in our thinking or revisiting the hypothesis of this theory should be considered a genius, a genius on the Stephen Hawking level. And if you have not yet seen the movie about Hawking's life, you absolutely MUST see it on the big screen so you can be further drawn into the story and the mesmerizing performances.
As a kid growing up we considered it 'strange' if any of our friends had eggs, hash browns, or pancakes for dinner (something usually occurring on no-meat Fridays during Lent when the rules about what we could and could not eat were strictly enforced). In retrospect, I should have been envious. Had I known we really could have had breakfast foods instead of things like salmon patties (with salmon made out of the can) or tuna fish casserole (made with cream of mushroom soup out of the can) for dinner I wouldn't have cared if we were considered one of those 'strange' families. Heck, I would have hidden the cans of salmon and mushroom soup leaving us with no choice but to have pancakes or eggs. Oh, the wisdom of age.
Referred to as a Mexican-California twist to a Swiss rosti, this dish is definitely more than hash browns with chorizo sausage and eggs. Like a rosti, the potatoes are pan-fried and then baked in the oven. Unlike a rosti, these potatoes are not roughly grated but roughly chopped. Although now having made this, I would either cut the cooked potatoes into smaller cubes or roughly grate them the next time I made this. I think it would taste even better with a crispier finish.
There are basically four ingredients in this dish: Yukon Gold potatoes, a large Spanish onion, eight large eggs and fresh chorizo sausage. A little extra-virigin olive oil along with some salt and pepper complete it.
Once the Yukon gold potatoes are cooked until tender in a pot of water, they are drained and cooled before being 'cut' up. I went with the rough chop, however, at this size they did not get as crispy as maybe they should have. So like I have already said, I would cut them into small cubes or roughly grate them (with a leaning toward the roughly grate). Note: The potatoes need to be prepared first and can be made the day/night before.
With the exception of preparing the potatoes, the entire dish is made in one pan, preferably a 12 inch cast iron skillet (or a pan that can be put in the oven). Once the fresh chorizo sausage is cooked through and lightly browned, the finely chopped onions are added. The entire mixture is cooked until the onions have softened (approximately 5 minutes). The sausage/onion mixture is removed from the pan and set aside. After simply wiping the pan clean with a paper towel, two to four tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil are added and heated before the chopped/grated potatoes are added. Seasoning the potatoes with salt and pepper, they are cooked over moderate heat until golden and crispy. Once crispy the pan is removed from the stove and the sausage/onion mixture is stirred in.
Using either a sauce spoon or small ladle, eight indentations are made into the potato/sausage/onion mixture. The indentations should be deep enough to hold a large egg and spread out enough so the eggs don't spill into each other. In a preheated 375 degree (F) oven the pan is placed in the oven. Bake until the whites of the eggs are just set but the yolks are still runny (approximately 12-15 minutes). You definitely want the yolks to be runny.
Sprinkle the finished dish with a little more salt and pepper and serve with some hot sauce and thick slices of toast.
Paired with a salad the Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes would make for a great lunch or dinner. This is definitely one of those 'not for breakfast only' dishes. Because nowadays the new 'normal' is having those once breakfast only dishes for lunch or dinner. Nothing strange about it.
Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes (inspired by Food and Wine's Baked Eggs recipe)
Ingredients
1 3/4 to 2 pounds small to medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes
1 1/2 pounds fresh chorizo, casings removed
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 large eggs
Salt and pepper
Toast and hot sauce for serving
Directions
1. Place potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold water, bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender when pierced with a knife (approximately 25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes) Drain and cool. Once cool, roughy grate or cut into small cubes. Note: If you don't want or like the skins of the potatoes, peel them before grating/cutting. Set aside.
2. In a 12 inch cast iron or enamel skillet, cook the chorizo until cooked through and lightly browned, breaking up into chunks while cooking.
3. Add the finely diced onion to the sausage and continue cooking until the onions have softened. Transfer mixture to a dish and set aside. Wipe the pan/skillet with a paper towel.
4. Heat 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in the wiped clean plan, and then add the grated/cut potatoes. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are golden and crispy. Remove from the heat and stir in the sausage/onion mixture.
5. Using a sauce spoon of small ladle, make 8 indentations into the potato-chorizo mixture. Note: Make indentations deep enough to hold a large egg as well as spread out enough so the eggs don't spill into each other.
6. In a preheated 375 degree (F) oven, bake until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still runny (approximately 12-15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
7. Serve with hot sauce and thick slices of toast.
