Huevos Rotos con Chistorra
Huevos Rotos con Chistorra·(WEH-vos RO-tos con chees-TOR-rah)
La Comida Hecha Rápida (The Weeknight Heart)
There are few dishes more representative of a Spanish home or a buzzing Madrid tavern than Huevos Rotos. It is a masterpiece born of absolute necessity, combining humble potatoes with whatever pork was left from the slaughter. The secret your grandmother would fiercely defend is in the fat: don't you dare throw away the brilliant, paprika-laced oil rendered from the sausage. By frying the eggs directly in that crimson gold, this unpretentious weeknight meal delivers a flavor so deeply comforting it will instantly transport you to a crowded, napkin-strewn bar on the Cava Baja.
Before you start
Wash the cut potatoes.
Submerge the potato batons in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to draw out the surface starch, then drain and dry them completely with paper towels so they don't splatter in the hot oil.
Ingredients
- pasture-raised eggs4 large
- Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes3 large
- authentic chistorra or soft semi-cured Spanish chorizo1/2 lb
- extra virgin olive oil1 1/2 cup
- coarse sea salt1 tsp
Method
- 01
Poach the potatoes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the dried potatoes, and let them gently bubble in the oil for 10 to 12 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.
- 02
Crisp the potatoes.
Turn the heat up to high and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove the potatoes to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and season generously with salt.
- 03
Render the sausage.
Carefully pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the chistorra, and sear for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to the plate with the potatoes, leaving the red, smoky fat in the pan.
- 04
Fry the eggs in the rendered fat.
Crack the eggs directly into the hot, crimson fat left in the pan. Working quickly, use a spoon to splash the hot fat over the egg whites until the edges become crispy and lace-like—la puntilla—while keeping the yolks completely liquid, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- 05
Assemble and break.
Transfer the eggs directly onto the potatoes and sausage. Bring the platter to the table immediately and dramatically slash through the eggs with a knife and fork, letting the rich yolks run down to coat the crispy potatoes and smoky meat.
Notes
Sourcing the sausage.
Authentic chistorra is a thin, fast-cured sausage from Navarra. You can find it at specialty grocers, but a soft, raw Spanish cooking chorizo is a perfect substitute. Do not use Mexican chorizo, which relies on vinegar and native chilies instead of smoked paprika.
Slice cleanly, don't snap.
While many Spanish stews require you to 'chascar' (snap or tear) potatoes to release starch into the broth, doing so here will cause them to burn and stick together in the frying oil.
From Cook Spanish in America.