Tasty Side: Potato, Bacon and Garlic Scape Hash

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Tuesday, I wrote to you about Monkfish Wrapped in Bacon and today I want to share my new favorite starchy side dish, which I rediscovered on Monkfish day: hash. On weekends when my mom was out and Dad was in charge, he'd fry up a can of corned beef hash and eggs. It was one of my favorite things to eat. My brother and I would fight over the crunchy bits that Dad did his best to scrape up from the bottom, salty chitling type bites that, like the bottom of a paella, is the absolute best part.

Of course, that hash was out of a can and really who knows what the ingredients actually were beyond corned beef and potatoes and lots of grease. Recently, I came across a post from Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman. The post was for a Spring Asparagus Pancetta Hash, it sounded heavenly. So heavenly that I went out and bought Asparagus and Pancetta and Potatoes, intent on making it that very weekend, but then I got carried away and made Poached Eggs over Polenta instead.

Since asparagus seems to have disappeared from the markets near me, I have to put aside Deb's recipe until next year. However, I don't have to put aside the hash. Hash is like the trash compactor of dishes or, in nice terms, like America's version of stir fry. Just take whatever you've got in your kitchen and combine and, generally, the result will be good. A few guidelines: there should be one fat (ie. bacon), one starchy component (ie. potatoes), at least one fresh vegetable (ie. garlic scapes although there might be some among us who don't insist on the vegetable) and some sort of flavor enhancer (ie. herbs, onion, garlic). So, after all that, here's my version that's very simple to whip up most any day of the week. Enjoy!

Potato, Bacon and Garlic Scape Hash

(Like any hash, this reheats very well and can be eaten at any meal. For breakfast, add a poached egg.)

What You'll Need:
3 thick slices of Bacon cut into chunks
1 medium Vidalia Onion chopped
2 medium Russet Potatoes cubed
2 tbsp Oregano leaves chopped
6 sprigs of Thyme
1 cup Garlic Scapes chopped
A few splashes of white or rose wine or any wine that's open really

Set a pan over a medium high heat. After a couple minutes, flick a drop or two of water in the pan. If it sizzles, it's ready for bacon. Add the bacon and render until it's crispy. Pour off all but a tablespoon of grease.

Add the onions and cook for two minutes. Stir often. Add the potatoes, oregano and thyme. Stir well to combine and turn the heat down to low. Simmer and stir for about twenty minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Add the garlic scapes. Stir the hash around and scrape up the bottom bits as well as you can. To get up the bits, add a splash or two of wine to deglaze. Five minutes after the scapes go in, the hash is ready.

Approximate Cost:
Groceries: $6
Cost per Meal: Expect 8 servings

This Time Last Year: Garlic Scapes with Shrimp and Brown Rice