What’s In A Name
Country of Origin – United States of America
As the Second World War raged across the world, rationing became the norm and as a result, fresh meat was hard to come by. It was only natural, then, that the armies of Britain and France sought after cheaper alternatives. Enter, the canned corned beef!
A heaped spoonful of corned beef, a handful of chopped potatoes, a dash of diced onions, a sprinkle of spices, et voilà! Survival food at its cheapest and absolute best!
With the situation having slightly improved (only just) over the years, we’re able to present a more palatable version of the Hash – one that is more breakfast-worthy than a mere plate of leftovers (as was intended).
In fact, the dish has passed its phase as a breakfast dish – often served with a side of eggs and toast – and can now be found on a menu at some of the high-end restaurants around the world, albeit with a higher degree of sophistication.
Our Connection
Donde (Where) – The Coffee Club – Dubai, UAE
Cuando (When) – December, 2016
Taking a break from the customary lunch or dinner, my friends and I decided to meet up for brunch this winter’s afternoon. Since I hadn’t had breakfast, I decided to order something more breakfast-y. No second guesses as to what it was.
The Chorizo Hash possessed all of the right ingredients for a classic brunch dish – the hash of diced spiced chorizo sausages and potato wedges, the two slices of butter-layered baguette, and the sour-cream resembling poached egg garnished with a few chives.
And it didn’t disappoint! Not only was the dish a visual treat (see the colours pop!), it was so memorable that ever since I laid my eyes on a packet of diced chorizo in my local Sainsbury’s, I began to plan out the details of recreating the dish. on my phone with my sister posing next to it! The crispy egg-dipped brioche bread, the pool of maple syrup, and the bed of cream, berries, and bananas. Just sitting next to it, I was going bananas! (Okay, no I wasn’t!)
It certainly looked sumptuous! So sumptuous that when I felt bored one Sunday morning in my Coventry studio flat, I thought I would change it up a bit.
Description
"A heaped spoonful of chorizos, a handful of chopped potatoes, a dash of diced onions, a sprinkle of spices, et voilà! Survival food made gourmet!"
Ingredients
Instructions
Chorizo Hash
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Add whole baby potatoes1 to a rice cooker2, submerge them in water, and cook them for 10-12 minutes or until they become soft and tender
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Drain all of the water from the rice cooker, and peel the skin off the potatoes
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Dice the baby potatoes and chorizo, and roughly chop the onion and garlic
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Pour the olive oil in a sauté pan and bring it over a medium heat
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Add the chopped onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions turn translucent
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Add the diced potatoes and chorizo to the pan. Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes
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To Serve (per serving): A slice of toasted bread, topped with a perfectly poached egg, garnished with a pinch of freshly chopped chives, served with a heaped spoonful of spiced potato and chorizo hash. Alternatively, the poached egg with chives can be served over the hash, and the toast on its own
Poached Egg
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Whilst the potato and chorizo hash is cooking, pour water into a deep cooking pot (at least up to the half-way point) and bring it to a warm simmer3
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Season the water with a pinch of salt4
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Crack an egg into a small bowl. Using a spoon, swirl the seasoned water in the cooking pot
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Carefully release the egg into the swirling pool of simmering water and wait until the egg white completely envelops/wraps around the yolk
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Leave the egg to poach in the water for roughly 2-3 minutes or until the egg starts to float to the top5
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Carefully remove the poached egg from the cooking pot.6 Repeat the same process for the rest of the eggs
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Take the potato and chorizo hash off the heat. Place a couple of slices of bread7 in the toaster to toast. Roughly chop a few chives
Spanish Hash
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To Serve (per serving): A slice of toasted bread, topped with a perfectly poached egg, garnished with a pinch of freshly chopped chives, served with a heaped spoonful of spiced potato and chorizo hash. Alternatively, the poached egg with chives can be served over the hash, and the toast on its own
Note
If baby potatoes are not available, you can use regular sized potatoes (2 medium potatoes would be sufficient).
1. If you do not have a rice cooker, a normal heavy bottom pot would suffice!
2. Ensure that the water is brought to a simmer before pouring the egg in. If the water is too hot, the yolk will separate and the egg will not poach.
3. You may add vinegar into the simmering water for a firmer poached egg, but if you have a healthy batch of eggs, then you shouldn't need it!
4. The timing for a poached egg depends on how runny you want the egg yolk to be. If you want the yolk to ooze out on to the bread, poach it for merely 2-3 minutes.
5. I would advise using a straining spatula to remove the egg from the water. If not available, carefully use a large enough spoon.
6. You can swap the brown bread for a small baguette/ciabatta bread if you want something different. You can heat the bread using an oven or on a griddle pan.
7. The prices of the ingredients (table below) are only rough estimates and are subject to change!
8. As certain ingredients are common household items - salt, pepper, oil - you may not be required to purchase them, and so the cost of preparing this dish is lower.
