Hammy Hash Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine ham and onion. Shred potatoes and add to ham mixture. Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish and pepper. , Spoon into a greased 11x7-in. baking dish, pressing down firmly. Combine cheeses; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut two pieces of aluminum foil.
• Spray foil with cooking spray.
• Put one hash brown patty on each piece of foil.
• Season with pepper.
• Layer on onion, ham, cheese, and ranch dressing.
• Seal foil; place on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake for 35 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons, and 2 tablespoons of butter. While the pan is getting hot and the butter is melting, cut the potatoes in half and then thinly slice them, add to the hot skillet and season with salt, pepper, thyme and the crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every now and then, for about 10 minutes or, until potatoes have browned and are tender. Add the onion and the ham and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes
• Preheat another skillet over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted and the bubbles have subsided, crack extra-large eggs into the pan, season with salt and pepper and fry to desired doneness.
• While the eggs are frying, finish off the hash by adding the roughly chopped spinach and basil to the potatoes. (Defrosted frozen spinach and some pesto would be added in at the same point if using substitutions.) Toss to wilt and warm the spinach. Sprinkle the hash with tomatoes and cheese and remove from the heat. Transfer the ham and spinach hash to plates. Top each portion with a single fried egg or arrange the fried eggs evenly over the platter.

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 5 mins until just tender. Drain well and leave in the colander to steam-dry.
• Meanwhile, spray an ovenproof pan with cooking spray. Add the leeks with a splash of water and fry until very soft and squishy. Add a few more sprays of the oil, tip in the potatoes along with the ham, and fry to crisp up a little. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Stir in the mustard, 1 egg and a good amount of seasoning with a fork - break up some of the potatoes roughly as you do. Flatten down the mixture, spray the top with oil, and bake in the oven for 15-20 mins until the top is crisp.
• When the hash is nearly ready, heat 200ml water in a non-stick frying pan with a lid (or use a baking sheet as a lid). When it is steaming (but before it simmers), crack in the remaining 4 eggs and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-4 mins until the eggs are done to your liking. Meanwhile, heat the beans.
• Lift an egg onto each plate, add a big scoop of hash and spoon on some beans.

Steps:

• Place the ham in a pot with the bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover with water and simmer for about 1 hour, until the ham is fork-tender (see Know-how, page 172). Add the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the potatoes are just beginning to get tender. Strain the ham and potatoes from the pot, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid, removing and discarding the bay leaf, and set aside.
• Using two forks, shred the ham into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, hominy, and onion. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Country ham is salty, so be sure to taste before adding any extra salt.)
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the ham-potato mixture and spread into a flat cake. Cover with a splatter screen or lid and cook until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and re-form the cake. Cover and cook, adding a little more oil if needed, until crispy on the other side. Remove from the heat and cover.
• Fill a large skillet with water about 2 inches deep and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar and salt and reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Add the eggs one at a time and poach for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites set and a thin, translucent film forms over the yolks (see Know-how, page 86). Use a slotted spoon to gently transfer the eggs to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
• Divide the hash evenly between individual serving plates, place 1 or 2 eggs on top of each, and serve hot.
• For a more rustic interpretation of this dish, make a hole in the hash, crack the eggs in the hole, and cover to fry, rather than poach, to your liking. For a sweet-and-savory combination, substitute sweet potatoes for the russets, and for a crispy finish, scatter fried oysters on top. Or, make a cheesy variation by layering the hash mixture with Gruyère cheese in a skillet to form one large cake and sauté until brown and crispy. Slide the cake out of the skillet and cut into 4 to 6 wedges, then assemble the dish as for the main recipe.
• Hominy is the name for corn kernels that have been hulled to remove the bran and germ. Lye hominy is hulled by soaking the corn kernels in a weak lye solution-a very traditional, centuries-old Native American method-and pearl hominy is hulled mechanically. It is then dried and either ground to make our beloved hominy grits or boiled whole to make what New Orleansians call "big hominy." You can buy hominy canned, meaning precooked, or dried, in which case it will need to be presoaked and boiled in the same manner as dried beans.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat 2 Tbs. oil over low heat in a 12-inch non-stick skillet (so potatoes don't stick). While skillet heats, prepare onion and ham as directed above. A few minutes before cooking, increase heat to medium-high. When oil starts to send up wisps of smoke, add onion and ham; cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, dice potatoes and toss with remaining oil. Transfer ham mixture to a bowl and reserve.
• Add potatoes to empty skillet; cook, stirring only occasionally so they form a golden-brown crust, about 10 minutes. As potatoes cook, mix ketchup, mustard, dried thyme, fresh parsley and 2 Tbs. of water. (Recipe can be prepared to this point up to 2 hours ahead. Spread hot potatoes on a large lipped cookie sheet; cover when cool. Return skillet to medium-high; add potatoes and re-crisp.)
• Return reserved ham mixture to skillet; stir in ketchup mixture, then season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until hash has nicely browned, about 5 minutes longer.