Recipe Flash: Red Flannel Hash

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

As the season would have it, many commenters listed beets as their ingredient of choice in last week’s shopping bag challenge. While I was cruising the internet for some inspiration, I came across a recipe for red flannel hash. Now, mind you, the dish is usually a staple of cold winter months. But I was attracted nonetheless, and felt if I could, say, put a seasonal spin on it—adding blue potatoes and the white of a beautifully fried egg—it might just be suitable for summer.

From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

Red, White, and Blue Flannel Hash
Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients
3 medium-large beets, scrubbed and trimmed
¾ lb small red-skinned and blue-skinned potatoes (can substitute 2 large russets), diced
1 medium Vidalia onion
1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 egg
olive oil
salt

2 eggs for frying (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange the beets in a small baking dish and fill with enough water to submerge the beets 1 inch. Season with salt, cover the dish with foil, and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the beets are fork tender. Allow beets to cool enough to handle. Remove skins with a paring knife—they should come off easily. Dice beets and set aside in a medium mixing bowl.

With a paper towel, remove any scraps from the skillet so it is more or less clean, and add another generous coating of olive oil. Get the oil nice and hot, then add the hash in one layer, pressing down with your spatula to form a large cake. Cook for a few minutes until the bottom is crispy and the hash has firmed up. Flip in sections and cook until the other side is crispy.Remove the hash and split between two serving plates. Clean the pan, add some more oil and fry two eggs. Top each plate of hash with a fried egg and serve immediately.