Fried eggs are not just for cooking in the skillet. Make them exceptional by cooking them the way Catalonian chefs do in Barcelona. Salmon Hash with Barcelona-Style Fried Eggs is one of my favorite dishes, so I hope you will like it as much as I do. To make hash with great depth of flavor and cook it quickly without using a lot of oil, cook the potatoes and hard squash in advance. Boil, steam, or roast them first. This way only a small amount of oil is needed for sauteing them and crisping their edges. Salmon hash is fabulous made with fresh salmon filet or steak or even their trimmings, or smoked salmon, or combine fresh and smoked.
In Barcelona's La Boqueria market, some chefs fry whole eggs in oil. Not just a spoonful of oil in a pan, they fry eggs in deep oil. The result is entirely different from thin "fried eggs" cooked in a skillet. In deep oil, whole eggs cook quickly in seconds. The egg whites souffle and puff up while their edges turn golden crisp. The egg yolks remain runny unless you cook them longer to firm them up. Barcelona-style Fried Eggs are the center of attention and placed on top of the hash.
Salmon Hash with Barcelona-Style Fried Eggs makes the most satisfying meal served anytime of day, for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Enjoy!
4 servings. Cooking time 20 to 25 minutes.
Salmon Hash:
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 small potatoes, peeled, diced (8 ounces or 227 g) steamed or boiled
1/2 small yellow or white onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 handful shelled cooked edamame, optional
8 ounces (227 g) butternut, calabash, or other hard squash in cubes, roasted or boiled
8 ounces (227 g) fresh salmon
Or 4 ounces (113 g) smoked salmon, chopped into large pieces, or combine both as you wish
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fried Eggs:
Oil for Frying: sunflower oil or grapeseed oil, and a few spoonsful of extra-virgin olive oil
8 large, extra-large, or jumbo eggs
Coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Salmon Hash: Cook the hash and keep warm while frying the eggs.
Over medium heat, warm the oil and add the cooked potatoes in one layer. Cook them until golden brown on one side, then turn over and light brown on the other side, takes about 10 minutes. Add the chopped onion and saute until fragrant without burning, then add the garlic, edamame if including, and cooked hard squash. Stir to blend and cook for a few minutes until fragrant and ingredients are hot to the touch. Add the salmon, break into pieces with a spatula and stir well. Lightly season with salt because the salmon adds salt, liberally season with freshly ground black pepper. Turn off the heat, plate and reserve while frying the eggs.
2. Frying the Eggs: Pour enough oil into the pan to be about 1/2-inch deep. Heat oil to about 375 F/191 C. Break each egg into a metal measuring cup for adding to scalding hot oil. Tilt the cup close to the oil’s surface and slide in each whole raw egg. Within seconds the egg white puffs up like a balloon. Fry for 30 to 45 seconds, tilting the pan to wash the hot oil over the raw yolk and sear the egg.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on top of the hash. Spoon a very small amount of hot oil over each fried egg if desired. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. This technique keeps the fried egg hot with runny yolk for minutes. Add multi-grain toast on the side, and enjoy one of the best fried egg dishes you've ever tasted!