Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [71]
Since that time, I have found the number for a livestock sitter. I had no idea they existed. You can bet that’ll be my first call the next time we contemplate a vacation.
Fried Potatoes and Eggs with Spicy Pepper Sauce
There’s something comforting about eating fried potatoes and eggs. It brings back memories of classic diner fare at its best or breakfast at Grandma’s. This recipe will remind you of those times, but with an updated twist: In place of the ubiquitous ketchup bottle, there is a spicy red bell pepper sauce that enhances both the eggs and the potatoes. However, if it’s a walk down memory lane you crave, feel free to plunk down a red squeeze bottle. To save time, use any type of leftover potatoes, from mashed to baked.
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To make the sauce: Pulse the roasted red peppers in a food processor until almost smooth, but with a little texture. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the roasted red peppers and cook over medium to medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors. The sauce will be thick. Set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until hot. Add the potatoes and onion, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, lowering the heat to medium if cooking too fast. Spoon into a large, shallow bowl and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until curds form but the eggs are still moist.
Pile the eggs into the center of the potatoes. Garnish with the avocado, if desired, and serve with the sauce.
NOTE
To cook the potatoes, put them in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and pat dry.
SERVES 4
SAUCE
4 roasted red bell peppers, drained, patted dry, and chopped (1 cup)
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 new red potatoes, cooked (see Note), patted dry, and cut into 6 wedges each
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 eggs, beaten
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped (optional)
DON’T COUNT YOUR EGGS BEFORE THEY’RE LAID
You’re anxious to eat breakfast from the eggs of your own backyard hens, but how many omelets can you whip up each week? You should expect to get five or six eggs per chicken each week. The problem, however, is that chickens are not automatons. Their laying schedule will fluctuate according to the breed of chicken, the time of year, the temperature outside, and the amount of daylight. Spring and summer are the peak laying periods, with time off for molting in the fall and a lighter schedule of laying in the winter due to the cold and the reduced daylight.
If you want to increase the number of eggs your chickens lay in the winter, you’ll have to add artificial light. That’s because light stimulates the pituitary gland of the hens to produce the hormones that start the egg-laying process. Hens need about fourteen hours of daylight for the best egg production. Once you add light, however, don’t stop until the natural daylight is back to about fourteen hours per day. Otherwise, the hens may molt and stop laying.
You may prefer to forgo the additional light and let your hens follow their own natural body rhythm. They’ll jump back into gear once spring arrives, and you’ll soon have more eggs than you