© Constantine William Spyrou
Sorry it's been a while guys! I'm taking a lot of classes this quarter for college and have had very little time to actually go onto the computer and do normal human being things. Really, all I do right now is eat, study, sleep, and try to have a social life (you can guess how well that works). Honestly, though, I'm keeping my nutrition at optimal levels, and it's helping me stay energized and not fall asleep in class!
One of the main reasons that I pull that off is I get a good breakfast every morning. Usually, it'll be rice and tofu or some other protein and carb combination. Having breakfast all the time got me thinking about unique breakfast combinations I could make. Now, one of the classic carb and protein combos has to be corned beef hash, but hash could be done with just about anything. I decided to craft a breakfast hash that has chicken and zatt'ar in it! Zatt'ar is a Middle Eastern spice that is very similar to thyme. It has a great, deep flavor, and goes especially well with chicken. It's traditionally served brushed on top of pita bread with olive oil and baked, so I tried my best to get similar flavors to that by roasting the chicken beforehand with the zatt'ar, and adding as many levels of roasted flavor as possible. I also like to eat spicy in the morning to get adrenaline flowing, so this breakfast hash is going to have a little kick!
Recipe will make 8 servings of hash.
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup zatt'ar spice mix
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons sambal oelek (spicy chili paste)
2 pounds parboiled potatoes (I prefer smaller potatoes such as Yukon Gold for this hash)
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tablespoons rosemary
1/2 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup diced tricolor bell peppers
Salt and pepper to season
1-2 poached eggs per serving of hash (up to the liking of the person eating)
Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
Cooking/Assembling:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the zatt'ar, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, and some salt and pepper until well mixed. Rub the chicken breasts in this mixture, and bake for 20 minutes.
2. Chop the chicken coarsely and add to a mixing bowl. Add the parboiled potatoes, rosemary, a little more olive oil, crushed garlic, onion, bell peppers, sambal oelek, and some more seasoning to taste. Combine until well mixed, but don't overmix! You want to have the great texture of the chicken in there.
3. Place a small amount of olive oil in a hot pan. When it starts to smoke, add in a portion (about 1/8th of what you have made) of the hash mixture into the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, ensuring that the sides are nice and crisp. After your first flip would be a good time to poach the eggs for that serving.
4. Place the hash on a plate, lay the poached eggs over the top, and garnish with the fresh cilantro.
Pre-roasting the chicken allows the toasted flavor of zatt'ar to really come out and shine in this dish, especially with the brightness of the lemon bringing it to the forefront. This dish is really all about the zatt'ar, which is quite delicious and works with all of the ingredients beautifully.
I hope you enjoy this dish! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =)
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