There are, in the lexicon of food, some terms that are uncomplimentary in and of themselves, yet conjure up images that to me are appealing and even irresistible. “Wolf fish” (loup de mer) is one; “head cheese” is another. A third, the subject of my sermon today, is hash.
To make a “hash” of something is to botch or bungle it, to make a muddle of it. Surely some cooks do just that when they chop or mince leftover meat and vegetables and cook them together in butter or oil, hoping a crispy crust will form. But once a proper pan has been found (preferably a well-seasoned one made of cast iron) and the trick of adjusting heat has been mastered, this preparation is not a chore at all. Consider, too, the joy it will bring to a dedicated eater when presented at a family weekend dinner or brunch.
Corned beef, roast beef, chicken, turkey, salmon and several other meaty victuals are listed on an honor roll of hash ingredients. Presenting a recipe for roast beef hash some years ago, James Beard commented that the dish “was one of the best justifications for having roast beef that I know because the hash alone was almost worth the price of the beef.”
I cannot pretend that hash is as popular as once it was. The reasons can be home cooks who cannot chop, the lack of leftover meat and vegetables in our refrigerators or the undeniable fact that hash can be rich, especially if it is made with cream or served with a sauce or an egg.
Here are two hash recipes well worth the chopping. Somehow beer seems better suited to these creations than wine.
ROAST BEEF HASH
Two servings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 small)
1 teaspoon paprika, Hungarian “hot” preferred
2 cups chopped cooked roast beef, fat removed
1 cup raggedly chopped, cooked potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Red wine to taste, optional
1. If possible, prepare this recipe in a 7-inch skillet, preferably cast iron. Combine oil and butter in the skillet and heat until butter melts. Add onion and cook at medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Add paprika, stir briefly, then add meat and potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook for 10 minutes, turning ingredients from time to time, drizzling some optional wine over them and pressing down with a spatula. Adjust seasoning as desired, then turn up the heat for a final minute or two to create a crust.
3. Serve as is or top with a fried egg for each portion. Have hot sauce or salsa on the table.
TURKEY HASH
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Four to six servings
4 strips bacon
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley, or a mixture of chopped parsley and green onion tops
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and grated
3/4 pound cooked turkey, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Fry the bacon until crisp in a 10-inch frying pan over moderate heat. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels and, when firm, crumble and reserve.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the drippings in the pan. Cook over medium heat until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the parsley and cook an additional minute.
3. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. When butter melts, fold in the potatoes, turkey, reserved bacon, salt and pepper. Mix well and spread to create a cake-like mass that fills the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan, turn down the heat to low.
4. Allow the hash to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, lifting different parts of the cake occasionally with a spatula to keep it from sticking to the pan. Remove from the heat, replace cover with a plate and invert. Remove the pan, transferring any potato mixture left in the pan to the hash on the plate.
5. Return pan to the heat and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the hash, browned side up. Cover the pan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes longer.
6. Serve alone or with a poached egg atop each portion. Recommended condiments include chili sauce, ketchup and chutney.