Blizzard Brunch

Wednesday morning, I was lucky enough to find myself snowed in with a fridge full of delicious ingredients. This hash was the result of a thrown-together meal for my dad. I later made a version for myself, omitting the bacon, but I suspect his was tastier! We ate this with thick slices of pumpernickel bread to sop up the egg yolk and melted cheddar.

Winter Hash with Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Serves 2, or one who has done a great deal of shoveling

A litle less than a pound of baby potatoes
2 strips bacon, cut into half inch strips
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
About a half dozen Brussels sprouts
Two eggs
Grated, aged cheddar (optional)
Salt and pepper
Sunflower or olive oil

Trim the stems from the Brussels sprouts, and separate the leaves. Toss the leaves with enough oil to coat, a liberal amount of salt and pepper, and then spread them out onto a sheet pan. Roast in a 400 degree oven for anywhere from 5-10 minutes, until they are browning and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water for about 10 minutes. Strain in a collander, then place the collander over the empty pot off the heat, and cover with a dish towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for another 7-10 minutes. Quarter the potatoes and set aside.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add bacon, and cook until just starting to brown. Add the diced onion and saute until they begin to become translucent. Add the garlic, stir a bit, and then add the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.

I let the potatoes brown a bit, and then gave them a little smush with a potato masher, but you could certainly leave them whole if you prefer a homefry to a hash.

Cook the eggs to your liking, fried or poached.

Divide the potato hash between two plates, and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese if you are using it. Top with the egg, then disperse the Brussels sprout "chips" around the plate.