Oysters Rockefeller hash brunch recipe
If you’re planning a brunch and fancy taking things in a sophisticated direction, this recipe for oysters Rockefeller hash could be just the thing.
Here, we see the much-loved American dish oysters Rockefeller (invented back in 1899 at Antoine’s, a French-Creole eatery in New Orleans that’s still open today) given a brunch-appropriate update. While the classic recipe features grilled, breadcrumb-topped oysters on the half-shell, this recipe – from Bottomless Brunch: A Dazzling Collection of Brunch Recipes Paired with Perfect Cocktails – suggests something a little heartier, without losing the overall sense of authenticity.
In oysters Rockefeller hash, the briny bivalves are combined with tender fried potatoes, spinach and fennel, with runny eggs nestled alongside for good measure. In homage to the original, a crispy breadcrumb topping adds a fitting final flourish.
Throughout the cookbook there are plenty of suggestions for cocktails and mocktails to match with the various dishes; this recipe is no exception, with a chilled Dirty Martini being the drink of choice (a pairing we certainly approve of).
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 170 g canned oysters
- 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.75 tsp anise seeds, crushed with a pestle and mortar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped
- 1 kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
- 285 g frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Details
- Cuisine: American
- Recipe Type: Brunch
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 35 mins
- Cooking Time: 40 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Rinse and drain the oysters in a sieve set over a bowl. Put aside.
- Tear the bread into 6-8 pieces, add to a food processor and pulse to fine, uniform crumbs.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a cast-iron or non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Transfer the breadcrumbs to the hot oil. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy. Tip into a bowl and toss with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and the crushed anise seeds. Set aside.
- Pour 4 tbsp olive oil into the now empty frying pan (skillet) and set over a medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and are just starting to brown, about 7-8 minutes.
- While the onion and fennel are cooking, toss the potatoes with the remaining 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. Fry the potatoes in a separate pan over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Set aside.
- Once the onion and fennel have started to brown, add the garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and the cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Add the spinach, breaking it up as you go.
- Tip in the potatoes, stir to combine, then press into a single layer. Cook for about 3 minutes (until the potatoes start to brown), then stir well, press into a single layer again and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Coarsely chop the oysters. Stir half of them into the hash, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and/or cayenne as desired. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Press the hash into a single layer one final time. Sprinkle the remaining chopped oysters evenly over the surface of the hash.
- Using the back of a large spoon, make 4 indents in the hash to cradle the eggs. Crack an egg into each indent and season with salt and pepper. Cover the frying pan with a lid and cook until the eggs are just set, about 5 minutes.
- Divide the hash among shallow bowls, taking care not to break the egg yolks. Sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs. Alternatively, bring the pan to the table and serve family-style.
Recipe adapted from Bottomless Brunch: A Dazzling Collection of Brunch Recipes Paired with Perfect Cocktails by Ryland Peters & Small. Photography by: Ryland Peters & Small 2023.
Bottomless Brunch: A Dazzling Collection of Brunch Recipes Paired with Perfect Cocktails
Win a copy of Bottomless Brunch
To enter, fill in the form below with your details before 23.59 BST on 23 July 2023.
If you can’t see the form click here to open it.