TODAY'S ORIGINAL · EXPERIMENTAL AMERICAN BRUNCH
Tar-Pit Dino Hash with Strawberry-Tuna Scramble
“Brunch has entered the fossil-fuel age.”
Crisp dinosaur-shaped potato cakes thunder through a glossy, entirely edible black-garlic “car oil” glaze, carrying a fearless scramble of tuna, strawberries, mustard, and eggs. Frozen-then-fried onions provide the geological chaos required of a five-star prehistoric brunch.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Ingredients
- 1 mediumYellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 poundsRusset potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/2 cupPanko breadcrumbs
- 1Large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoonGarlic powder
- 1 teaspoon, dividedKosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoonBlack pepper
- 2 tablespoonsUnsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons, plus more if neededNeutral cooking oil
- 3Black garlic cloves, mashed
- 2 tablespoonsLow-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoonBlackstrap molasses
- 2 tablespoonsStrong brewed coffee
- 1 tablespoonMaple syrup
- 2 teaspoonsDijon mustard
- 6Large eggs
- 2 tablespoonsMilk
- 1 can (5 ounces)Canned tuna in water, drained thoroughly
- 3/4 cupFresh strawberries, hulled and diced
- 2 tablespoonsChopped fresh chives
- 1/3 cupMini marshmallows
- For servingHot sauce
MAKE IT
Method
- 01
Spread the sliced onion on a plate and freeze it for 15 minutes. This startles the onion into obedience and gives its edges a head start on becoming magnificent debris.
- 02
Wrap the grated potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Combine them with the panko, beaten egg, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Slap the mixture firmly against the side of the bowl several times until emotionally stable.
- 03
Divide the potato mixture into eight portions. Compress each into a 1/2-inch-thick dinosaur shape using a large cookie cutter, or sculpt sturdy little long-necked beasts by hand. Keep the limbs broad; delicate potato ankles are architectural nonsense.
- 04
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Fry the frozen onions for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp at the edges. Transfer them to a plate and crown them with a pinch of the remaining salt.
- 05
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Fry the potato dinosaurs in batches over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deeply golden, crisp, and cooked through. Add another splash of oil if the skillet becomes dry. Hold the finished beasts on a rack in a 200°F oven so they remain thunderously crisp.
- 06
For the edible car-oil glaze, whisk the black garlic, soy sauce, molasses, coffee, maple syrup, and Dijon in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon. This is culinary motor oil, not automotive motor oil, and it now owns the road.
- 07
Whisk the six eggs with the milk and remaining salt. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a clean skillet over medium-low heat, letting it foam dramatically without burning. Add the eggs and stir gently until large, soft curds begin to form, about 3 minutes.
- 08
Fold in the drained tuna, diced strawberries, and mini marshmallows. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, until the eggs are fully set, the tuna is hot, and the marshmallows have softened into tiny garlic-free clouds of brunch authority. Fold in half the chives.
- 09
Paint each plate with a bold streak of black-garlic car-oil glaze. Park two potato dinosaurs on top, load them with the strawberry-tuna scramble, and scatter over the twice-disciplined fried onions and remaining chives. Apply hot sauce like a meteor strike and serve immediately.