Corned-Beef Hash

The boyfriend is obsessed with the corned-beef hash from More than Waffles, our favorite breakfast place, so I thought I would try and recreate it. But finding corned beef was a mission in and of itself. I tried my usual grocery store, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods and neither of them carried it! I had to resort to my local butcher and all he had was corned beef brisket so reluctantly, I bought the 3 lb package of corned beef just to use 4 ounces for the hash. I did manage to find deli-style corned beef moments later at the Italian deli next door but I’m really glad I found the brisket version first. The usual corned-beef hash dishes that I get from restaurants have more of a ground corned-beef texture but since I used the brisket, there was actual meat chunks of corned beef in the hash, making it so much better! And topping it with a runny egg and a side of home fries brought the meal to absolute perfection.

Corned-Beef Hash (adapted from Martha Stewart):

Yields 2 servings

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 baking potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and quartered, and parboiled (For parboiled potatoes, simply boil them in salt water for about 10 minutes.)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 ounces corned beef, diced
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, optional

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions; saute, stirring occasionally until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

Add bell pepper and corned beef and cook for 4 minutes to heat through.

Add potatoes, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to incorporate; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using a spatula, flatten hash in skillet.

Once the hash has browned underneath, use a spatula to flip it over to brown evenly. Repeat 4-5 times. (You want to build the layers of crust.)

Remove from the heat and serve immediately. (I think it’s best if served with a runny egg but you could also serve it with a poached egg.)