Is it a Filipino dish? It’s likely an adaptation of the Spanish torta. I say that because potato and egg combo is found in the cuisines of countries that, like the Philippines, were once colonized by Spain. In some variants, pieces of meat are added. But the dish I grew up with did not have any meat.
So… are the potatoes cooked before the eggs are added? Yes, of course. Potatoes take much longer to cook than eggs and if you throw them into the pan at the same time, you’ll either have undercooked potatoes (if you turn off the heat once the eggs are done) or terribly overcooked eggs (if you wait for the potatoes to get sufficiently cooked through).
How are the potatoes cooked? There are two ways:
- Cut into small pieces and fry or
- Boil or steam until partially cooked, cut into cubes and toss in oil until a crust forms.
I prefer the first method. But even that has variations.
When my father cooked potato and eggs, he’d practically deep fry the small cubes of potatoes until they crisp like fries, scoop them out, pour out the oil, add the potatoes back into the pan then pour in the beaten eggs. The result was delicious!
When my father-in-law cooked the same dish, he’d cut the potatoes into sticks, fry them in plenty of oil and add the eggs. Story has it that when he served it to his first American-born grandson who was staying at the family house for a vacation, the boy refused to eat it because the potatoes and eggs were visibly swimming in oil.
I cook the potatoes differently from my father and father-in-law. I don’t use as much oil — just enough to coat every piece of potato. My trick is to use a large frying pan — large enough so that the potato cubes can be spread in a single layer. Even heating and distribution of oil.
I wait until the potato cubes have acquired the texture of French fries before adding the beaten eggs. The eggs cook in the little oil that still coats the bottom of pan. By the time the eggs are done, it’s like the frying pan had been wiped off. No oil drips if you hold the pan sideways.
But it isn’t just the frying that’s different. I have two other, well… improvements:
If the skin of the potato is thin, I don’t peel it off. Apparently, the skin is nutrient-rich so why get rid of something that’s good for the human body?
The second thing has two components: melted butter and grated pecorino. The potato and egg combo are ladled into bowls, melted butter is drizzled in, and pecorino is grated directly on top. Sprinkling in chopped parsley is optional.
Potato and egg breakfast
Connie’s notes
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cooking oil (see notes)
- 300 to 400 grams potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) cut into half-inch cubes
- 3 to 4 large eggs beaten
- salt
- 3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
- Pecorino romano
- chopped parsley optional
- buttered toast to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wide-bottomed pan.
- Spread the potato cubes in the hot oil.
- Cook without disturbing for a minute or so to allow the undersides to brown.
- Stir and continue cooking with occasional stirring until a golden brown crust forms.
- Pour in the beaten eggs.
- Sprinkle in a few pinches of salt (Pecorino is salty so go easy on the salt at this stage).
- Cook, stirring, until the eggs are done.
- Ladle into bowls or plates.
- Drizzle with melted butter, top with grated Pecorino and serve with buttered toast.
