PALEO SWEET POTATO HASH WITH POACHED EGGS & TOMATILLO SALSA!

Brunch is great.  Brunch with this delightful dish is even better.  Next time you’re thinking about taking some time in the morning, either on a weekend or a random Wednesday… think about making this yummy hash.  The flavors here are complex, with the sweet white Jersey yams playing off the heat from the hot sausage.  Add in the savory deliciousness of the poached eggs and the lemony brightness from the tomatillo salsa and you’ve got the recipe for breakfast goodness.

I like to cook everything in one pan for this recipe.  It takes a bit of time to get everything just right, but the flavors kind of build upon one another as you are cooking too.  One thing to keep in mind is that you need to taste every component as it completes cooking and season accordingly.  If your sweet potatoes need salt right before they are done cooking, they will still need salt when they are added into the mix.  It’s easier to balance each ingredient as it is finishing than to try to adjust the seasoning for a whole batch of hash!

At my cooking school, lots of people were asking me about poaching eggs.  There’s a couple different schools of though here: first, get an egg poaching pan.  They’re really easy but I find that they don’t provide the same silken texture of a true poached egg.  The second thought is to just give it a shot at home.  Poaching eggs takes about 3 minutes per egg.  Here’s the down-n-dirty version of how to do it: in a 2-3 quart pot, bring about 4″ of water to a simmer.  Add in one teaspoon of white wine vinegar.  Swirl the water gently with a slotted spoon and crack your egg right in the center of the pan.  Allow to simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.  Repeat as many times as necessary.

QUICK COOKING TIP: Tomatillos are fantastic to cook with, particularly when they aren’t cooked at all!  These little green fruits are fantastic in so many different salsas and sauces due to its bright color and flavor.  It lends tartness, sometimes likened to lemon, when used raw.  Look for tomatillos that have a green husk (which you will need to remove!!) and are firm.  You will note that when you remove the husk the skin is a bit sticky… that’s ok!  Rinse, remove the core and dice. I’ve never really liked tomatillo on its own, but if you want, give it a try.

Now that we have reviewed poaching eggs and dealing with the tomatillo, let’s get into the details of this paleo sweet potato hash recipe…