Breakfast Stack with Halloumi, Spinach, Potato, and Roasted Pepper
Ingredients
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato cut into rounds about ⅛-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 8 ounces halloumi cut crosswise into 8 slices, each about ¼-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 ounces baby spinach washed and dried (about 2 cups)
- 4 eggs
- 8 ½-inch fire-roasted red pepper strips store-bought is fine
Instructions
- Soak potatoes in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.
- Fill a 2-quart saucepan with 2 inches of water, add the vinegar, and bring to a slow simmer.
- Heat 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat, adding the olive oil to one of the skillets. Add the potatoes to the oiled skillet in one layer, being careful to spread them out. Season with salt and pepper, and brown for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Remove potatoes to serving plate, and cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in the second skillet, add the bacon, and cook until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels, cut each piece in half, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Wipe out both skillets, and return them to the stove. Heat over medium. In the first skillet, cook the halloumi for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove to a serving platter, and cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in the second skillet, add the spinach, and stir to cover the spinach with butter. Cover, and remove from heat.
- Return to the simmering water. Break the eggs into individual small ramekins or teacups, and gently slide each egg into the water. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Assemble stacks on 4 individual plates in this order: a few potato slices, 2 slices of halloumi, 1 poached egg (use slotted spoon to remove from water), spinach, red pepper, and bacon. Garnish with black pepper to taste.
Wendy Crispell
Wendy Crispell is a wine and cheese educator based in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley of New York. When not wandering gourmet markets, she can be found in her country kitchen testing recipes for cheesy dishes and cocktails.
Photographer Mark Ferri
Mark Ferri is a graduate of Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif. He believes in a simple, direct approach that captures the natural beauty and appetite appeal of food. Mark celebrates a life-long passion for food by frequently exploring new restaurants in New York and in Europe, and loves to cook and entertain at his home in the Hudson Valley. Learn more about Mark on his website: http://www.markferriphoto.com/
Stylist Leslie Orlandini
Leslie Orlandini is a chef and an accomplished food stylist in print and television. She has been nominated for both James Beard and Emmy awards and is a veteran of thousands of cooking shows and segments. You can learn more about her through her website: http://leslieorlandini.com/
