Red Flannel Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

By á-58

Red flannel hash is a traditional New England embellishment of corned beef hash, and is so called because of the addition of the beets. It makes a wonderful brunch dish. Corning beef was an important method of preserving beef in the days before refrigeration, and ranked with smoking and drying as common techniques. It's probably not time- and effort-efficient to prepare homemade corned beef just for this recipe -- it takes eight to 12 days to cure -- but if you are so inclined, then this is a great recipe to prepare it for.

Ingredients

• For the Hash:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
• 1 pound good-quality corned beef, finely diced
• 2 cups diced cooked beets (2 or 3 beets, weighing about 1 pound)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• For the Eggs:
• 8 eggs
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 35mins
Cooking time 275mins

Preparation

Step 1

FOR THE HASH:
Melt the butter in a saute pan or skillet and saute the onion and bell peppers over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the corned beef, beets, egg, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the potatoes, and saute over medium-high heat for about 9 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in each of 2 large saute pans. Add one quarter of the hash mixture to each pan and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the sautéed potatoes and continue cooking for about 7 minutes or until crispy, shaking and flipping the pan or stirring frequently with a spatula. Remove and keep warm while repeating for the remaining hash mixture.

FOR THE EGGS:
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the vinegar. Break 4 eggs, one at a time, into a saucer and then slip carefully into the pan. Cook until the egg whites are set and firm, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain. Repeat for the remaining 4 eggs. To serve, place the hash on warm serving plates, top with a poached egg, and garnish with freshly ground black pepper.

HELPFUL TIPS:
While this recipe calls for poaching the eggs, you can fry them to the desired doneness instead, or even loosely scramble them.