Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS? Chorizo with potatoes is a popular Mexican taco filling; the hearty combination is both savory and satisfying. Inspired by these flavors, we set out to create a simple breakfast hash. Although russet potatoes crisp up beautifully, we also wanted to include sweet potatoes—not only are they a popular Mexican staple, but we thought their earthy sweetness would give our hash depth of flavor. Tests revealed that an equal amount of sweet and russet potatoes produced the best results: While using just sweet potatoes left the hash with a soft and mushy consistency, a balanced combination of the two created a well-rounded and flavorful hash that crisped nicely. Cubing and microwaving the potatoes shortened their cooking time considerably. For the meat, we chose Mexican style chorizo for its intense flavor. Onion, garlic, chipotle, thyme, and cumin gave our hash an aromatic backbone. We discovered that the key to achieving crisp hash was getting good browning on the potatoes. Once we added the potatoes to the skillet, we packed them down to ensure good contact with the hot pan and cooked them for a couple of minutes without stirring. We then flipped browned portions of the mixture and packed everything down again to encourage additional browning. As for the eggs, we kept the recipe streamlined by poaching them right in the hash: We made indentations in the potato mixture, cracked the eggs into the divots, and then covered the pan and cooked them over low heat.

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces Mexican-style chorizo sausage, casings removed
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• ¾ teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 8 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Toss russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a bowl. Cover and microwave until potatoes are translucent around the edges, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving.
2. Meanwhile, cook chorizo in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until the onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotle, thyme, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in cream and hot potatoes. Using the back of a spatula, gently pack the potatoes into the skillet and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Flip the hash, one portion at a time, and lightly repack it into the skillet. Repeat the flipping process every few minutes until the potatoes are nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Off the heat, use a spoon to make 4 indentations (2 to 3 inches wide) in the hash, pushing the hash up into the center and around the edges of the skillet (the bottom of the skillet should be exposed in each divot). Crack 2 eggs into each indentation and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, 4 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.