Did I really do this? Did I actually pay $.99 apiece for duck eggs? Just because I haven’t eaten a duck egg in years and they were sitting there, lovely looking and daring me to choose my favorites, as if any of them looked any different from any of the others? Tempting me, the way the gum and candy tempt kids while their caretakers wait with them on the checkout line at the supermarket?
Yep. I did it. Bought four of them.
When you pay that much for eggs, I think you should eat them like eggs. I mean, for themselves and not mixed into something like a cake or pancake batter.
That’s what I did. Sunnysides, right on top of roast beef hash, which is a perfect counterpoint for two reasons. First, because when it comes to taste, the runny egg yolks ooze into the crispy meat and vegetables and gives all the crusty stuff a memorably voluptuous feel in your mouth. And second, hash uses up leftovers, which is a frugal way to balance the price of those eggs.
Roast Beef Hash
2 cups diced (1/4-inch cubes) Yukon Gold or “new” potatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups diced mushrooms (1/4-inch cubes)
2 cups diced cold roast beef (1/4-inch cubes)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup beef or vegetable stock
4-8 Sunnyside eggs if desired
Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the potatoes, cook for 3 minutes and drain. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until the cubes are beginning to crisp and brown. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until soft and beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the beef and season with the thyme, cayenne pepper and some salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and parsley, mix, and pour in the stock. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, turning the hash occasionally and loosening any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the hash is crispy and the liquid has evaporated. Serve with Sunnyside eggs, if desired. Makes 4 servings