It tastes 1000x better than it looks – and it looks pretty delicious.

I absolutely adore José Andrés’ original recipe for Huevos Fritos con Chorizo y Patatas and thought in celebration of the day of love, I would make a less spicy version for Faye so that she too, could bask in the glory of its tastiness. (The original dish doesn’t use black beans and calls for regular white potatoes.) Using sweet potatoes in place of the white potatoes definitely cuts the spiciness of the chorizo enough so Faye will eagerly scarf down her portion.

As the original and this adaptation may be the best brunch dishes that I’ve ever eaten, I highly recommend that next weekend you grab yourself some friends, some eggs and chorizo, and enjoy one of the best breakfasts in the world. You are very welcome.

Fried Eggs with Spanish Chorizo and Potatoes

adapted from José Andrés’ Huevos Fritos con Chorizo y Patatas
Serves 4 not-so-hungry people or 2 hungrier people
About 15-20 minutes from start to plate

• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 Tbsps + 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
• ½ cup cooked black beans
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• salt to taste
• 2 cured chorizo sausages, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs
• sea salt to taste

Get out a chopping board, large chef’s knife, peeler, candy thermometer (I use this digital one), a medium bowl filled halfway with cold water, a medium sauté pan, a small sauté pan, a wooden spoon, a large metal spoon, a slotted spoon, a glass and a plate. Congrats. You are a quarter of the way finished prepping this dish. (Yep, it’s that quick.)

Peel two sweet potatoes. Cut the potatoes into ¼” slices, then cut those slices lengthwise into ¼” strips, and follow by cutting those strips into ¼” cubes. Put the cubes into the bowl of cold water and set aside. This will prevent the potatoes from browning while you finish prepping the rest of the dish.

Peel the casing off of the 2 cured sausages and dice into ¼” cubes the same way you diced the potatoes. Set aside the diced chorizo in a corner of the cutting board.

Split open the garlic cloves by placing them on a chopping board and pressing down hard on them with the flat side of the knife. Remove the skins and set the smashed garlic aside.

Heat the 3 Tbsps of olive oil over a medium flame in the medium sauté pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until lightly browned. While garlic is browning, drain the water out of the bowl with the potato cubes. Wrap the potato cubes in some paper towels to dry them off. When they are dry, add them to the pan and cook until they are slightly browned, about 7 minutes, stirring every minute or so with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme and sauté for another minute. Add salt to taste. Add the chorizo cubes and black beans and continue to sauté and stir for 2 minutes. Set the pan aside.

Add the cup of olive oil the the small sauté pan and heat on a high flame until the oil reaches 375 degrees (measure with the candy thermometer). (To speed up this step, turn on the flame when you add the chorizo to the other pan.)

Crack an egg into the glass. Tip the sauté pan at an angle so the oil collects on one side to create a small bath. Carefully slide the egg into the hot oil. It will immediately puff up. BE CAREFUL DURING THIS STEP! Hot oil can easily splatter about the kitchen, so make sure there are no animals or kids around the stove when you cook the eggs. Using the metal spoon, spoon the oil over the egg a few times. The egg will cook in about 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked egg to the plate with the slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining eggs, one at a time.

TO PLATE:

Add the chorizo, bean, and potatoes to the base of the plate. Place the eggs on top. Serve immediately with some crusty bread to soak up the incredibly delicious oil and yolk. Graciously receive praise from your loved ones.