Country Hash Recipes

COUNTRY HAM HASH RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook ham in a large skillet over medium, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer ham to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Return skillet to medium-high, and melt butter in skillet. Add potatoes, onion, and bell pepper, spreading in an even layer. Cover and cook until potatoes soften, about 8 minutes. Uncover and stir in garlic, pepper, and salt. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, 2 minutes. Stir and continue cooking in 2-minute intervals, stirring after each interval, until potatoes are golden, about 15 minutes total.
• Chop cooked ham, and stir into potato mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with rosemary, and serve immediately.

POTATO HASH

Steps:

• Add 3 cloves of smashed garlic, a few large pinches of salt and potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and discard the garlic. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet tray lined with a clean dish towel to dry slightly.
• Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until just translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and tender, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cooked potatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes start to get crispy and golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. (If the potatoes get too dry, add the chicken stock.) Remove from the heat and stir in the chives.

COUNTRY-STYLE SAUSAGE HASH

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add Jimmy Dean sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently to break up the sausage into small pieces, then drain. Remove the sausage and set aside.
• In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil for 30 seconds. Carefully add the potatoes and fry until they begin to turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the potatoes do not stick or burn.
• Add onions, peppers, salt, and pepper, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the sausage and stir well.
• Serve with the fried eggs and avocado slices on top to get more nutrition from the meal.

COUNTRY HASHED BROWNS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan. Add the potatoes, onions, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally with a flat spatula, until the potatoes are evenly browned and cooked through. (Allow the potatoes to cook for 5 minutes before turning.) Turn off the heat and add the parsley, scallions and ham. Reheat on top of the stove or over a hot charcoal grill.
• Cook's Note: Use any leftover potatoes in Potato Basil Frittata (see recipe) for lunch.
• You can peel and dice the potatoes early and keep them in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water. Drain them and dry them well with paper towels before frying.

COUNTRY HAM AND HOMINY HASH

Steps:

• Place the ham in a pot with the bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover with water and simmer for about 1 hour, until the ham is fork-tender (see Know-how, page 172). Add the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the potatoes are just beginning to get tender. Strain the ham and potatoes from the pot, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid, removing and discarding the bay leaf, and set aside.
• Using two forks, shred the ham into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, hominy, and onion. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Country ham is salty, so be sure to taste before adding any extra salt.)
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the ham-potato mixture and spread into a flat cake. Cover with a splatter screen or lid and cook until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and re-form the cake. Cover and cook, adding a little more oil if needed, until crispy on the other side. Remove from the heat and cover.
• Fill a large skillet with water about 2 inches deep and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar and salt and reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Add the eggs one at a time and poach for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites set and a thin, translucent film forms over the yolks (see Know-how, page 86). Use a slotted spoon to gently transfer the eggs to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
• Divide the hash evenly between individual serving plates, place 1 or 2 eggs on top of each, and serve hot.
• For a more rustic interpretation of this dish, make a hole in the hash, crack the eggs in the hole, and cover to fry, rather than poach, to your liking. For a sweet-and-savory combination, substitute sweet potatoes for the russets, and for a crispy finish, scatter fried oysters on top. Or, make a cheesy variation by layering the hash mixture with Gruyère cheese in a skillet to form one large cake and sauté until brown and crispy. Slide the cake out of the skillet and cut into 4 to 6 wedges, then assemble the dish as for the main recipe.
• Hominy is the name for corn kernels that have been hulled to remove the bran and germ. Lye hominy is hulled by soaking the corn kernels in a weak lye solution-a very traditional, centuries-old Native American method-and pearl hominy is hulled mechanically. It is then dried and either ground to make our beloved hominy grits or boiled whole to make what New Orleansians call "big hominy." You can buy hominy canned, meaning precooked, or dried, in which case it will need to be presoaked and boiled in the same manner as dried beans.