Campfire Cast-Iron Croatian Blitva: Swiss Chard and Potato Hash with Farm Eggs

Build a campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals, then set a grate about 6 inches above them. At home, use a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (700 g) small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 2 large bunches Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 lb / 700 g), stems sliced, leaves torn
• 5 tbsp good extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 large farm eggs
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Build a campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals, then set a grate about 6 inches above them. At home, use a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
2. Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on the grate, add the potatoes and enough water to just cover, and simmer until a knife slides in easily, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the sliced chard stems for the last 3 minutes.
3. Drain off all but a few tablespoons of the liquid, then crush the potatoes lightly against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon so their edges roughen and catch the oil.
4. Push the potatoes to one side, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic, and cook until the garlic turns pale gold and fragrant, about 1 minute — pull the pan to a cooler part of the grate if it colors too fast.
5. Add the chard leaves in large handfuls, stirring as each batch collapses. Cook until the greens are silky and any water has cooked off, 4 to 6 minutes.
6. Season with the sea salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and the lemon juice. Stir well and spread everything into an even layer.
7. Make four wells in the hash and crack an egg into each. Cover the skillet with a lid or a sheet of foil and cook until the whites are set and the yolks still run, 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Finish with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the parsley, and a final pinch of flaky salt. Serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges and crusty bread for mopping.
9. Blitva is the everyday green of the Dalmatian coast, where chard and potatoes are simmered together with garlic and drowned in the region's peppery olive oil — a dish so ordinary in Croatian homes that it rarely gets written down. August is its moment: chard grows fast and sweet in the late-summer heat, and new potatoes are still thin-skinned enough to crush with a spoon. Cooking it over a campfire is a small liberty, but a fitting one, since the whole point of blitva is that it asks for one pan, a few good ingredients, and nothing else.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 410 kcal
• Protein: 14g
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 37g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 3g
• Sodium: 690mg