Sweet Potato and Smoked Trout Hash

Ahh… Sunday morning and the opportunity to linger in bed for a bit. Granted it’s only an extra thirty minutes for us, the dog stands next to the bed and the cats prance upon us. Then we’re up to start our morning ritual of feeding pets and filling the bird feeders. On to a cup of coffee or two while we watch the weather forecast and local news. Then a three mile hike with our dog Banjo at one of the local parks.

Only after all this can we have our own breakfast or brunch which always begins with a nice bowl of fruit; sometimes berries, pineapple, stone fruit, oranges, grapes, or whatever looked good in the market earlier in the week. Oh! Gotta have bananas, Banjo’s favorite! Then it’s some eggs and toast or grits and eggs but occassionally I make the effort to create something special. And I think the recipe that I present today makes that cut. A little bit of planning makes this less of a weekend morning fuss. I roast the sweet potatoes the day before and the vegetables can be cut up the previous day as well. The accompanying chipotle mayo can be prepared ahead. This recipe makes enough hash for four servings and the chipotle mayo will likely be enough but I am sure you’ll find other uses for it.

SWEET POTATO and SMOKED TROUT HASH with POACHED EGGS and CHIPOTLE MAYO

Ingredients for the mayo:

• 1 cup prepared mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon purée from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon honey

Method:

• put all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate until needed

Ingredients for the hash:

• 2 or 3 sweet potatoes roasted until just barely cooked through, cooled and peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes, enough to make 4 cups

• 1 boneless smoked trout fillet, about 8 ounces, skin removed and the flesh flaked or broken up into pieces the size of an almond

• 1 cup diced onion, red, sweet or white

• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

• 1/4 cup shredded carrot

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• salt and black pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup chopped scallions for service

Method:

• in a skillet or sauté pan, melt the butter along with the olive oil and then over medium heat sauté the onion and bell pepper for two or three minutes, then add the garlic, carrot, thyme and smoked paprika stirring until combined. Add in the sweet potato and using a spatula, fold the hash over from time to time as it cooks for a few minutes until the sweet potato begins to get a little crispy on the bottom

• add in the trout and fold it in gently so that the whole thing doesn’t become mashed together. Keep warm

To serve:

• poach the eggs, 2 per person. Fill a good sized sauce pan with water, about three inches deep and bring to a gentle boil. Add in a tablespoon of white vinegar for each cup of water and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt for each cup as well. Crack the eggs, one at a time into a small bowl or cup and gently ease the egg into the water and give the water a swirl to help keep the egg white together. Repeat with the rest of the eggs, but if cooking more than 4 eggs, wait until the first four are cooked to your liking. I think that they are best when the white is set and the yolk is still runny. Drain the eggs on paper towels and trim away any loose strings of egg white

• portion the hash onto warm plates and top with the eggs. At this point you can spoon the chipotle mayo over the eggs and hash, or put the mayo in a squeeze bottle or ziplock bag which you would cut a small corner off, and then zig zag a pattern of mayo across the top of the hash. Finish with a sprinkling of scallions.

I hope you enjoy an easy start to your day once in a while, even if it is not on the weekend. This recipe hits the spot for a good, hearty breakfast or brunch with lots of flavor. Enjoy!