New Year's Brekkie: Red Flannel Hash & Eggs

A strong desire yesterday to nest--and, perhaps, to nurse a light, post-revelry hangover--drove me to our near-barren cupboards to scrounge for our New Year's Day breakfast. Although holiday travels kept me from keeping the pantry stocked, I was able to scrape together an onion, a handful of potatoes, and some Michigan beets that I had roasted a few days earlier, for just such an occasion.

Knowing I had just purchased at Eastern Market a carton of freshly laid, cage- and hormone-free eggs from Holtz Farms in Ida, Michigan, my thoughts turned immediately to recreating an old diner favorite for breakfast: Red Flannel Hash and Eggs.

I started by dicing the potatoes and steaming them with a little water in a non-stick pan, topped with a lid. As the water evaporated, I added a touch of olive oil and sauteed them until lightly browned, salting along the way. This became an exercise in pan-scraping, so I was sure to use my wooden spatula. Then came the onion, diced into a similar size and sauteed, 'til softened and golden. Finally, I tossed in the peeled, diced beets, just to warm them through. Their addition turned the whole concoction a ridiculous shade of fuschia--and probably did the same to my insides.

I topped each plate of hash with a fried egg, over easy, so that each cube of potato could be dipped into its golden, unctuous yolk. The dish was earthy and sweet, and satiated our growling, hung-over tummies.