Southern Crab Hash Recipes

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan of salted water; bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat; simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes & drain.
• In a large nonstick or cast-iron frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp.
• Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble it.
• Saute the onion in 1 T oil & cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes.
• Remove the onion, & wipe out the pan.
• In the same pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over moderately high heat.
• Add the potatoes; let them cook, without stirring, for 6 minutes.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, stir, and cook the potatoes until well browned, about 6 minutes longer.
• Add the onion and bacon and continue cooking until they are warm through, about 1 minute longer.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the cream cheese, milk, Worcestershire sauce, crushed red pepper fl;akes, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderately low heat, stirring, until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Add the crab and black pepper and cook, stirring, until warm through, about 2 minutes longer.
• Stir the crab mixture and 2 tablespoons of the chives or spring onions into the potatoes until just combined.
• Serve topped with the remaining 1 tablespoon chives or spring onions.

Steps:

• Remove any cartilage and shell from the crab meat.
• Cut the meat into chunks.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes.
• Drain and let cool.
• Cut the potatoes, with their skins, into ½-inch dice.
• Place in a mixing bowl.
• Cook the bacon in an 8- or 9-inch sauté pan over medium heat until browned and crisp.
• Remove the pan from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Add the bacon to the potatoes.
• Return the sauté pan to the heat and add the onion and pepper.
• Turn up the heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until browned.
• Add the thyme and paprika, mix well and remove from the heat.
• Add the onion and pepper (including the fat) to the potatoes.
• Mix in the crab meat and season with salt and pepper.
• Mix very well, mashing the potato a bit so that the mixture sticks together.
• Divide the mixture into four 8-ounce portions and shape into 5-inch cakes.
• Refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Fill a deep pan with water for poaching the eggs.
• Lightly salt the water and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar for each cup of water.
• Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so that it barely simmers.
• Heat the oil in a well-seasoned 12- to 14-inch skillet over medium high heat.
• Cook the hash"cakes" (they should sizzle when you add them to the pan) for about 5 minutes until the sides are crisp and brown.
• Using a spatula, turn the cakes over.
• If they break when turning, don't worry; just use the spatula to reshape them in the pan.
• Meanwhile, break the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and slide each into the poaching liquid.
• Do this quickly so that all the eggs cook in about the same amount of time.
• It will take only 2 minutes for a loose poached egg: whites barely set and yolks runny.
• Center each hash cake on a medium plate and, using a slotted spoon, gently place a poached egg on top.
• Grind a bit of pepper over each egg and sprinkle the scallions over the entire dish.
• Serve at once.