A Bit of Hash…

When I think of hash, I am transported back to my college-day, 3am, post-clubbing haunt: Village Inn. VI’s Garden Skillet was almost always what I ordered and it was the epitome of comfort food. My very own cast iron skillet filled to the brim with potatoes, onions, veggies, gooey cheese and topped with two runny eggs. It wasn’t until many years later that I started making my own hash at home and it is still one of my favorite go-to meals.

As we are muddling our way through the COVID19 pandemic, most of our meals have been made at home—we have only ordered takeout a handful of times—which is a major change for us. When grocery store visits are being kept to a minimum and resourcefulness is on the forefront, hash is the perfect meal: it is one of the tastiest and easiest ways to clean out your fridge! And even during non-pandemic times when you find yourself just blankly staring inside the refrigerator without a clue of what to make—you know what I’m talking about: busy day, no time to shop, the kids have sports or a ton of homework, bellies are grumbling and time is ticking by the second? That’s the perfect time for hash. Potatoes and onions are the only two core items needed for this ultimate comfort food: if you’ve got those two staples, you’re golden. Start rummaging and dicing…

Currently, I have baby Yukon gold potatoes, carrots and leftovers from kabobs the night before: onions, white asparagus, peppers and steak. Most things work well—and work well together—in this dish. This meal can be on the table in 25 minutes once all of the components are prepped. Potatoes need the most time to cook—almost the entire 25 minutes—so they will always go in first. Then, it’s just a matter of adding everything else to the pan according to cooking times: all ingredients should be diced. Either with or without a runny egg on top, you’ve got a complete meal in a bowl in a half an hour.

Being indoors for so long during COVID19 has taught me much about wasting little. After a long day of the three of us working and learning from home, I love not having to put too much thought into dinner. Combining leftovers, pantry staples and produce ‘on its way out’ in a hash is a simple way to make use of what you have on-hand. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Take care… 

25-MINUTE HASH
A good rule of thumb in the portion department: one large Russet or four small red or gold potatoes per person—peel them if you like—sweet potatoes can also be used. One medium to large onion per 4 servings should suffice.

Start with a skillet over medium heat. Add about 3 Tablespoons of oil and wait until it starts to shimmer. (Potatoes have moisture, so when they hit the oil, they may spatter: move them around a bit at first, then let them settle in to get caramelized for about 5 minutes. If you are adding carrots or any other hard veggie, they will go in next—same procedure as the potatoes. Season with a few grinds of salt and pepper with each ingredient addition).

Here’s the 25 minute breakdown:
25:00 – Heat large skillet over medium heat. 
24:00 – Add oil; once it shimmers, add potatoes, season.
20:00 – Add firm veggies such as carrots and/or winter squash, stir, season again.
16:00 – Add onions; season, stir.
12:00 – Add cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, stir, season again.
10:00 – Add peppers, beans and/or summer squashes, stir, season again.
5:00 – If making eggs, heat small skillet over medium heat.
4:00 – Add pat of butter and one egg per person to small skillet; season with salt and pepper.
2:00 – Flip eggs.
2:00 – Plate hash, top with shredded cheese.
1:00 – Place one egg atop each serving of hash.
0:00 – Serves 4.