Potato Hash with Asparagus, Fava Beans, and Green Garlic

If you want to show someone you love them, do it with food. Specifically, shell a few pounds of fava beans and they'll know you really mean it.

This recipe is a vegetarian remix of some potato hash I made a while back. Aside from the delicious flavor, my favorite thing about this meal is that it's 100% Cali (minus the butter and spices) and features some of the beautiful spring ingredients that are currently at the farmers market. And just look at the color of that yolk! Not only does Farmer Bob Polito hand-wash his eggs, but he has been known to organize the blues and browns into their own respective rows. As Bob often likes to say, “It’s a labor of love." My inner Monica Geller can't help but smile when opening up a perfectly organized carton of eggs. Simple does it when it comes to joy and food.

Asparagus at Zuckerman's - Santa Monica Farmers Market

Recipe Tips

Potato Texture

See Potato Hash with Fava Beans, Green Garlic, and Leftover Short Rib for additional information on the science behind crispy potatoes. Basic instructions are below.

Fava Beans

Fava beans have two layers that need to be removed - the pod plus a waxy outer coating on the bean itself. Most sites suggest removing the beans from the pod, blanching the beans for 30 seconds, then dunking them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. It makes the waxy coating "slip right off". I skip the blanching step because a) I didn't know any better when first using fava beans and b) don't feel like creating more dishes for myself at this point. Plus, fava beans cook very quickly and I worry that blanching might result in beans that are overcooked after the sauté. And to complicate things further, if it's early in the season and the fava beans are young, you can apparently cook the entire pod. Rob and I stopped into Gjusta over the weekend and they had a side salad that was grilled whole fava pods with shaved Pecorino. In any case, chef's discretion.

Farmers | Artisans

I make an effort to source my food from local California artisans with a special focus on the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Below is a list of the talented folks who contributed to this dish.

• Milliken Family Farms / Spring Onions
• Schaner Farms / Fava Beans and Yellow Onion
• Polito Family Farms / Eggs
• Windrose Farm / Green Garlic
• Zuckerman's / Asparagus and Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Preston Family Winery and Farm / Olive OIl

​Green garlic at Windrose Farm - Santa Monica Farmers Market

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

Measurements for chopped ingredients are taken after prep.

• 1-2 eggs per person
• 3 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon quality olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into two pieces
• 1 3/4 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups shelled and peeled fava beans (about 2 pounds of beans) Note: See fava bean tips above.
• 10 asparagus stalks, medium width, woody ends snapped off.
• 1/2 cup spring onion, small chop Note: Yellow onions are a fine substitute here.
• 1 cup yellow onion, small chop
• 3 teaspoons finely chopped green garlic, white part only
• 1/8 teaspoon smoky paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Flake-style salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions (Inspired by Cook's Illustrated)

Prep

• Before turning on the oven, prep the fava beans, asparagus, potatoes, and remaining ingredients.
• Place the diced potatoes in a large pot and add just enough cold water so that they are are covered.

Sauté

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and then line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and parchment paper. Place the lined baking sheet in the oven.
• In a 12-inch non-stick pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Add the asparagus and cook (turning a few times) until it starts to brown, the color is vibrant green, and the texture is tender but still retains a nice crunch in the thicker end. Note: Be mindful of carry-over cooking as well as the final reheating step when determining if the asparagus is done.
• Transfer the asparagus to a plate, cut into bite-size pieces, season with a pinch of flake-style salt and freshly ground pepper, then set aside.
• Wipe the pan clean.
• In the same 12-inch non-stick pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium to medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Add the onion plus a pinch of flake-style salt, then sauté until slightly caramelized (about 7 minutes).
• Add the garlic and paprika, stir until fragrant, then transfer the onion mixture to a plate and set aside.
• Wipe the pan clean.

Parboil

• While the onions are working, bring the potato cubes and 1 teaspoon of flake-style salt to the brink of boiling, then immediately drain the potatoes. As mentioned under "Crispy Potatoes" in this post, don't continue cooking your spuds. Note: I line a plate with paper towels and then spread the potatoes out on the plate to ensure that they're thoroughly drained.

Sauté

• In the 12-inch non-stick pan that you wiped clean, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high until the butter foams.
• Cook potatoes for 15-20 minutes, tossing and turning them every 4-5 minutes to ensure even browning. Note: Avoid turning the potatoes more than every 4-5 minutes or they won't brown properly.
• Transfer the potatoes to the hot baking sheet, leaving 1/3 of the sheet empty for the veggies. Put the baking sheet back into the oven.
• Over medium to medium-high heat, add the onion mixture and fava beans to the 12-inch pan. Cook until the fava beans are tender (about 5 minutes).
• About a minute before you're done cooking the fava beans, add the asparagus pieces back to the pan to warm them up.
• Transfer the veggie and onion mixture to the empty section of the baking sheet and leave in the oven.
• Wipe the pan clean.

Fry

• In the same non-stick pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter over medium high until foaming.
• Gently crack your eggs into the pan and fry.

Plate

• While the eggs are frying, take the hash out of the oven and gently toss the potatoes with the onions and veggies together. Season to your liking with flake-style salt and pepper, then plate for serving.
• Transfer the fried eggs to each mound of hash.
• Top with a little flat-leaf parsley for additional color and flavor then season the eggs with a pinch of flake-style salt and freshly ground pepper.

Additional Sides

I serve potato hash with homemade sourdough toast. If you're an aspiring bread nerd, all of my bread notes can be found here, or you can check out the post How to Make and Maintain a Sourdough Starter.