Corned Beef Hash: Delicious Simplicity

Corned beef hash. A no-brainer when you stop off at the diner on your way home from the bar at 4am. At least it used to be. On Sunday I surprised Cheryl with this tasty breakfast made from our St. Patrick’s Day leftovers. Yes we still had some corned beef and potatoes, that’s the benefit of cooking a six pound brined brisket, plenty left to chew on!

So what’s a hash? A hash is chopped meat, potatoes, and spices mixed together. Pretty basic, no? Take your leftovers, chop them up, cook, and voila! You’ve got a hash. And for what it’s worth ‘hacher’ is the French verb for ‘chop,’ so that’s where the word comes from. Supposedly (according to the internet) hash became popular in France in Britain post-WWII as food rationing still existed and people wanted to stretch out their leftovers. These days you can find various kinds of hash in restaurants as sides to main entrees. It makes sense since it’s pretty economical to just chop some stuff up and put it on a plate. I even chopped one up for a roast duck a few months back.

Anyway, making corned beef hash at home is ridiculously easy, especially around St Patrick’s Day when the ingredients are so readily available. A corned beef dinner is a one pot meal which means the vegetables are already cooked and have picked up the pickling spices of the cooking liquid, so you don’t even need to do much seasoning. Pre-seasoned potatoes. It’s almost as if the culinary gods are forcing you to make some!

Feel free to add any other leftover vegetables to the hash, like any carrots or cabbage. Unfortunately we didn’t have any or I would have thrown them in. Also, even though everything tastes like the pickling spices go ahead and add some other seasonings. Cajun spices, curry powder, herbs de Provence (just to name a few I’ve been laying around with in the kitchen lately) whatever you’ve got lying around. This is classic leftover dish which you should get creative with.

Even though it doesn’t happen all the time sometimes the simplest dishes can taste so good. This dish is one of those times!

Corned beef hash (makes 4 servings)

• 2 C diced corned beef
• 2 C diced cooked potatoes
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 Tbs Butter
• ½-1 Tbs Parsley, minced

In a pan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Add corned beef and potatoes. Stir them around to distribute evenly in the pan then leave alone to cook until they start to crisp up, about 2 minutes. Stir around to crisp the ‘up’ side. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the parsley, remove to plates.

Serve hot with a fried or poached egg on top.