Spanish Broken Eggs (Huevos Rotos)
The combination of fried eggs, olive oil-fried potatoes and crispy jamón is a classic Spanish comfort food.
An indulgent Spanish comfort food combines freshly-fried potatoes with crispy serrano ham and fried eggs. Eggs have historically provided a baseline animal protein for many generations, and for older-generation Spaniards this dish is a true comfort. Like many dishes of this nature, there are so many variations and specifications for how to make it. For this reason, you won’t often see it in restaurants! It really is best made at the mercy of your own hand. A key feature of this dish is the olive oil. Spanish olive oil adds a grassy, brassy lightness to a hard-hitting dish like this. I employ a twice-fry method for the potatoes. If that sounds too drawn-out, it really isn’t. The potatoes are pan-fried on a low heat for 10 minutes to gently cook them through. The heat is turned off, and once the pan becomes calm and still, they’re thrown onto maximum heat to produce crisp, golden results. The eggs and ham are simple work in comparison. Once served, be sure to mish-mash everything together on your dish. The egg yolks dress everything beautifully. You want this dish to live up to its namesake, ‘broken eggs’. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (serves 2x)
1x large starchy/semi-starchy potato
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2x slices of Spanish ham (jamón serrano)
2x large eggs
WALKTHROUGH
First, slice the potato into fries. You may peel it if you prefer. Rinse the sliced potatoes in water briefly to remove any starch. Set aside.
Place a frying pan onto medium-low heat and add 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the drained, sliced potatoes and allow them to come to a gentle fry. Fry the potatoes for 10-12 minutes on low heat, turning occasionally.
Once knife-tender, turn off the heat and allow to pan to cool until it’s completely silent - around 5 minutes.
Return the pan to a medium-high heat. Allow the potatoes to fry vigorously, turning often until they are adequately browned. Remove them from the pan and allow to drain.
Immediately add the 2 slices of serrano ham to the hot frying pan and fry until they are crisp, about 20-30 seconds. Remove and set aside.
Finally, crack in the 2x eggs and fry until crispy. Once cooked to your liking, remove them from the pan and drain.
To serve, place your fried potatoes into your serving dish and season with salt and pepper. Add your crispy fried eggs and serrano ham, and be sure to break them up and combine them together. Enjoy!
