Sometimes I’ll go months without making hash, and then I suddenly remember its pleasures and take off on a hash riff, making not just the corned beef classic, but using clams or leftover chicken or turkey or other meat.
Hash used to have a less than stellar reputation as an odds-and-ends kind of dish, but now it often makes an appearance on high-end restaurant menus, usually for breakfast or brunch. I love it for supper.
CLAM HASH
You can use fresh chopped hard-shell clams and their liquor here, of course, but chopped pasteurized clams, either fresh or frozen make a delicious hash, and even canned clams will do. Include about 2/3 of a cup of the clam liquid in your hash mix. Serve with a grape tomato salad and warm cornbread.
Makes 3 to 4 servings
1¼ pounds all-purpose or russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
12 ounces partially drained chopped clams, fresh, thawed frozen, or canned
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped parsley
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water to cover until just barely tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain. When they are cool enough to handle, cut into ½-inch dice.
In a very large, heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off excess grease, leaving about 3 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet. Add the onion and green pepper and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Stir in the reserved bacon, potatoes, clams, thyme, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring well once or twice. Stir in the parsley, raise the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered, flattening the hash and turning it over in sections as it browns, until it is browned and crisp, about 10 more minutes.
Serve directly from the pan.
HASHED CHICKEN WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES
This is the perfect vehicle for using up leftover roast chicken or turkey, or you can make it with rotisserie-roasted chicken from the deli. I’d suggest a salad of dark leafy greens and whole wheat rolls as accompaniments.
Makes 3 to 4 servings
4 cups diced, cooked, unpeeled red-skinned potatoes
4 cups (16 ounces) diced cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
¾ cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons crumbled dried
¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup half-and-half or light cream, plus 2-3 tablespoons
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Toss together the potatoes, chicken, scallions, cranberries, sage, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Drizzle on the ½ cup cream and toss to combine well.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a very large, heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet. Add the hash mixture, spreading evenly and pressing down with a spatula. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, uncovering to stir well every 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high, and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the hash is crusty and rich golden brown, about 10 minutes more. If the hash seems too dry, add the additional tablespoon of oil to the pan.
Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2-3 tablespoons of cream. Taste, add more salt if necessary, and serve.
Brooke Dojny is author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, most recently “Chowderland: Hearty Soups & Stews with Sides and Salads to Match.” She lives on the Blue Hill peninsula, and can be contacted via Facebook at:
facebook.com/brookedojny
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