The secret to this hash is in the romesco, a Spanish sauce made of tomato, almonds, and red pepper, punctuated with tangy sherry vinegar and smoked paprika. I first fell in love with smoked paprika while living in Madrid a few years back, and since then Alex and I have found it adds a smoky depth to vegetarian dishes, like paella (here), lentil stew (here), or even mayonnaise (here). Typically, the red-orange romesco sauce is served with fish or poultry, but here we’ve used it to amp up potatoes in a breakfast hash. It’s a satisfying vegan breakfast for two, or add a fried egg on top to extend the serving size to four.
Ingredients
FOR THE ROMESCO
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 cup roasted almonds
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 large roasted red pepper, from a jar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (pimentón)
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE HASH
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 pound russet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
- 1 teaspoon plus 2 pinches kosher salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 green onion or 1 handful chives, for garnish
- 5 cups baby spinach leaves, loosely packed (chopped if leaves are large)
- 4 large eggs (optional)
How to Make It
- Make the romesco: Peel the garlic. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, place the garlic, almonds, diced tomatoes and their juices, red pepper, smoked paprika,
- vinegar, olive oil, and kosher salt. Blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Make the hash: Dice the potatoes into ½-inch or smaller cubes, leaving the skin on. In a large skillet (12 inches or larger), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Sauté for 15 to 17 minutes, flipping the potatoes often with a spatula, until browned and crisp.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the green onion or chives.
- When the potatoes are done, remove them from the skillet into a bowl. Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the spinach, 2 pinches of kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper, then sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Add the potatoes back to the pan and mix to combine with the spinach.
- Fry the eggs (optional): If desired, add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and bring to medium heat. Add the eggs and cook sunny side up until the whites have hardened. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and black pepper.
- To serve, garnish the potatoes with sliced green onion or chives, and serve with romesco sauce.
