Hash

Hash is a dish of chopped potatoes fried in a pan with chopped meat, vegetables and onion until crisp and browned. It started as a way to use leftovers. Corned beef hash is the American classic. In Sweden the same idea is called pyttipanna, served with a fried egg and pickled beets.

How to do it

1. Cube potatoes into pieces about 1.5 cm (½ inch) across. Use leftover cooked potatoes, or parboil raw ones for 5 to 7 minutes and drain them well.
2. Heat oil or butter in a large heavy pan, such as cast iron, over medium-high heat.
3. Add the potatoes in one layer and leave them alone for 4 to 5 minutes until a crust forms underneath.
4. Turn them in sections, add diced onion, and keep cooking until browned on several sides.
5. Add cooked meat or vegetables cut to the same size. Press the mix down lightly with a spatula and cook a few minutes more to brown again.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Top with fried or poached eggs if you like.

How to tell it is done

The potatoes are tender inside with deep brown, crisp edges. The meat is hot all the way through and has some crispy bits too.

Common mistakes

• Crowding the pan. The food steams instead of browning. Cook in batches or use a bigger pan.
• Stirring all the time. It stops a crust from forming.
• Wet potatoes. Dry them well after boiling.
• Pieces of very different sizes. Small bits burn while large ones stay pale.

In recipes

"Hash" means food chopped up and pan-fried together. "To hash" an ingredient means to chop it. Hash browns are different: shredded or grated potato fried into a flat cake. Sweet potato hash and vegetable hash use the same method. Hash reheats best in a hot pan, not in the microwave.