Sometimes I’m possessed by food jealousy – I think it might happen to a lot of people who are on a budget. They hear about a friend’s restaurant dinner, see a gorgeous meal in a magazine, or maybe they watch Tyler Florence. Darn you, Tyler! Darn you and your belly of fresh Atlantic salmon that would be so perfect for Mother’s Day! Well, at least I can make a more budget-friendly Salmon & Asparagus Hash.
Salmon & Asparagus Hash with Hollandaise Sauce
OK, Ms. Frau,” I tell myself, “take a deep breath…follow your Strategies. ” So maybe I can’t financially justify Tyler’s meal, but I can still make a darned good one: Salmon can become a note in the symphony of flavors instead of the main player. Potatoes & eggs are cheap & I can use the more seasonal sale-priced Asparagus instead of the very expensive (this time of year) Red Bell Peppers that Mr. Florence used…
About Salmon & Asparagus Hash:
The result? Spectacular. Simple ingredients transformed. Sometimes the sum truly is more than its parts…
Let’s talk about the final dish. The potatoes, which are my Baked Potato Hashbrowns are gorgeously browned and crunchy on the outside, and yet soft and creamy inside are beautiful and add backbone and structure to the dish. The smaller amount of salmon, cooked perfectly, highlights this hash; in a way, the smaller amount punctuates the whole dish without taking over. It seems to say, “Hey, it’s not ALL about me” and somehow the smaller amount makes it seem even more special. And then asparagus chimes in with a much-needed freshness to counterbalance the rich Hollandaise.
But the Hollandaise Sauce. It’s nothing short of glorious. Now, Hollandaise is not something I make or have often; it’s easy to make (especially knowing a few tricks) and relatively inexpensive, so I don’t know why. I guess there’s the not morning person, me. That’s one reason. The lazy me thinks it’s a project and then there’s the hafta clean out the blender, so that’s reason number two. But the most important reason, I think, is reason number three. It might be a sin. It’s too good not to be!
It’s that sauce, though, that takes this hash next level. A creamy, dreamy sauce that flows over the hash. Honestly, the poached egg on top seems almost an afterthought but I think it makes the dish, somehow, feel less rich. If you’re not a runny yolk person feel free to skip it.
Poached Eggs in the Microwave
Making Salmon & Asparagus Hash:
There are multiple steps to this recipe, so plan accordingly. Here are a few suggestions to make this brunch easy. Links are below for how-to’s.
- Salmon is usually on sale before Mother’s Day so it’s the perfect reason to cook salmon and serve it a day or two before as a meal. Make a little extra and save back part for this dish. Maybe use the skinny portion from the end of each piece; no one will miss that.
- The potatoes are based on precooked baked potatoes and are best-used cold to make the hashbrowns. Again, why not serve as a part of a meal earlier in the week and make a couple of extras so you have them in the fridge and at the ready? The potatoes brown up very quickly once you start to heat them.
- The same can be done with the asparagus. The asparagus easily can be from a component of a previous meal. It’s also easy to cook the asparagus the evening before and the spears plunged into cold water. Then it’s a simple matter to cut them up and reheat them in the hash the morning of.
- Even the poached eggs, which I always think are a little fussy, can be knocked out the evening before and held in water, tightly covered, in the fridge. When making the hash, the eggs can be reheated (it takes seconds and you don’t want to cook them more) in barely simmering water. I do have an easy microwave recipe for the poached eggs.
- Hollandaise is best made the morning of and can always be made a bit ahead and kept warm. Usually, Hollandaise is at its best when it’s on its way to cooling just a bit, anyway. As the butter cools just a bit the sauce thickens a little more. Some people keep the Hollandaise in the blender and wrap a thick towel around it, but I have seen people make hollandaise and transfer it to a thermos.
So with just a little finessing, this meal can be made primarily from leftovers! Does saying “planned leftovers make it sound better?) Shhhh…just don’t tell! Let them think you were up early in the morning slaving away, lol! Let everyone think you’re a genius. 🙂 This dish is still a bit of work, even with the key components knocked out ahead, but it IS well worth it.
Having the components made ahead (and they won’t suffer for it) also takes care of one thing that could be potentially daunting about this dish – the mess! There will not be a pile of pans and dishes to deal with if you follow this strategy. That’s gonna make you seem like even more of a genius!
Baked Potato Hash Browns from Leftover Potatoes – so perfectly golden & crispy
Storing and Reheating the Hash & the Hollandaise:
This is a first time is the best time dish! For reheating the hash, your best bet is the microwave, just watch it closely. Those potatoes will never be as crispy again.
Hollandaise can be reheated. The key is to do so very slowly so the butter doesn’t overheat and the sauce doesn’t “break” separating into parts that are no longer smooth, thick, and homogenous. Try the microwave on low, stopping to stir every 20 to 30 seconds or so. It’s tedious but can be done.
Asparagus Standing in the Microwave
Saving Money on Salmon & Asparagus Hash:
Salmon:
- Salmon does go on sale from time to time but there are some sales that are better than others. You’ll often see deep sales in the few weeks before Christmas and New Year’s and the same for Easter during Lent. To see what’s on sale before any given holiday, check out my post “Win at the Grocers.” Scroll down to the bottom to the clickable menu for each food holiday.
- There are a lot of “lowly” foods I’m down with but farm-raised Salmon (Btw, all Atlantic salmon is farm-raised since the ocean variety has been fished out) is something I can’t recommend. That being said, you don’t always have to go for the premium cuts, especially in a recipe like this where only bits are used; check out Aldi & Lidl. If you do want nicer pieces, check out your buyer’s club.
Asparagus:
- Asparagus is usually at its best and is least expensive in the spring. It’s often on sale before Easter and Mother’s Day. When not on special the price can be outrageous, so take advantage of it when it’s low.
Salmon & Asparagus Hash with Hollandaise Sauce
Salmon & Aspargus Hash
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Ingredients
Instructions
For the Salmon:
- 5 to 8 ounces of Salmon (could be trimmings or frozen portions)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place salmon pieces, skin-side down, as close together as possible on a foil-lined baking sheet. (A smaller piece of foil is fine, just turn up the edges so the oil doesn’t run off. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until just done, timing varies with the thickness of the salmon; from a few minutes and up to 15 or so, for a thick filet.
Salmon should be just flaky but holding together well – the point is to have visible chunks, not shreds in the hash. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest while you proceed.
For the Asparagus:
- 1/2 bundle of Asparagus, about 6 to 8 ounces, chopped, heads intact.
The asparagus may be added directly to the hash to cook, the tougher ends added with the potatoes and onion, the tops added just a few minutes before the potatoes are brown & crispy.
Another option is to cook it in the microwave; see Asparagus in the Microwave, which can be done the day before and then heated up in the hash, or if you prefer, cooked the day of.
For the Hash:
- About 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 russet potatoes, boiled or baked, about 5 ounces each, cut into large dice, about 3/4 inch across
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 5 to 6 ounces of asparagus, a little less than half a bundle, sliced diagonally into 3 inch pieces
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
- Fresh chives or the green part of a green onion, to taste, chopped with a few whole for garnish
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add potatoes and onions, stirring now and then until browned. This is really a shallow – fry, and excess oil will be drained off. When nearly done, add the minced garlic and the tarragon, and cook for a minute longer. Tilt the skillet and remove excess oil. Add the chives or green onion, as much as desired, leave a few for garnish. Stir in the cayenne pepper.
note:
- Asparagus may be cooked directly in the hash, the tough ends added at the same time as the potatoes, the tips added a few moments before potatoes are done.
- Asparagus can be cooked before and reheated as the hash cooks, adding the tips last.
Poached Eggs:
For the Hollandaise:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 or 4 drops of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne
- 1 stick, 8 tablespoons of butter, melted and hot
See recipe for Hollandaise Sauce for full information and a troubleshooting guide on making this simple blender sauce.
Melt butter. In a blender, add egg yolks, mustard, lemon, and hot sauce and blend on medium speed until yolks are lightened in color. Turn speed to high and slowly add butter until sauce is thickened.
You can place this in a thermos that has been warmed with hot water if you’d like to make it and set it aside while you’re poaching your eggs and sautéing your vegetables, or perhaps wrap it in a kitchen towel and keep it in a warm place.
To Put Together:
At the last minute, so potatoes don’t get soggy, gently fold in the asparagus mixture (if precooked) to the potatoes. Using 2 forks, flake the salmon, removing it in chunks from the skin, and fold it into the potatoes. Place the salmon-potato hash on serving plates or serving platter and top with the eggs. Pour Hollandaise sauce over the eggs and garnish with chives or green onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Expect some leftover Hollandaise – use it on the Asparagus you didn’t cook up if you had to buy it in a larger bundle.
RAW EGG WARNING: This recipe contains undercooked egg – Use caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.
Keywords: Asparagus, Breakfast or Brunch Dish, Eggs, Fish and Seafood, Hash Browns, Hollandaise Sauce, leftover fish, leftover potatoes, leftover Salmon, Leftovers, Poached egg, Potatoes, Salmon, Tyler Florence
