hash

Corned Beef Hash

2017, cooking, holidays
  • Left over corned beef dinner:  corned beef, carrot, potato, cabbage – all chopped into small pieces
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • Kale
  • Fresh thyme and oregano
  • 4 eggs, fried to your preference

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt a good amount of butter.  Once foaming, add onions, bell pepper thyme and oregano.  Cook for about 5 minutes to soften.

Add garlic and continue to cook until browned.

Add kale and cooked till wilted

Add corned beef dinner, adding a good amount of pepper.

Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Place a heavy lid over it and allow to brown.  After about 5 minutes, stir the mixture and place the lid back on to continue to brown.

Once you have lots of tasty browned bits, fry your eggs.

To serve, spoon the corned beef mixed onto a plate and top with the fried egg.

Brunch with Old Friends – Bacon Potato Hash

cooking, entertaining, family

M and P came over on Sunday to meet little S for the first time.  We invited them for brunch at our house instead of going out so that we can enjoy the afternoon and not feel rushed to bring little S home.  Little S was very good, letting Auntie M hold her and play with her for a bit!

For brunch, I made a variation a baked frittata, bacon potato hash and fresh cherry crisp for dessert.  The potato hash was something I had never made, but I was pretty happy with the results.  Par cooking the potatoes allowed me to prepare it more quickly in the cast iron skillet when our guests arrived.  I like to smash my potato cubes as they cook to exposed more surface area to the pan to get more of the crispy bits (my favorite part.  So it’s kind of cross between home fries and hash brown consistency.  Yum yum!

BACON POTATO HASH

INGREDIENTS

2 large russett potatoes, cut in half length wise

6 slices of bacon (I like to use the end and pieces from Trader Joe’s)

medium knob of butter

1 very small onion or 2 shallots, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

Herbs-fresh thyme or dried herbs de Provence

INSTRUCTIONS

Place unpeeled potatoes into a pot of water and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked partially but still firm when pierced with a fork. Dice the potatoes.

In a cast iron skillet, place bacon and turn heat to medium.  Cook slowly, rendering the fat.  Turn bacon over once and remove from pan once cooked.  Drain bacon on paper towels and allow the pan to cool slightly. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch dice

Reserve 2-3 TBSP bacon fat to cook the hash.  Remove the remaining fa from the pan and save for another use.

Return the bacon fat to the pan and add butter.  Turn heat back onto to medium.  Cook onions, peppers and a dash of salt for a few minutes, until softened.

Add potatoes and herbs.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Mix with the peppers and onions.  Lay over the entire surface of the pan, pressing the potatoes with the spatula.  Allow to cook without stirring for a few minutes.  Be careful not to burn the bottom of the potatoes!  IF they start to burn, turn the heat down and flip the potatoes over.

Once the potatoes are browned on one side, flip the potatoes over and continue to cook until the second side it browned.