Edmonds reader shares his hash

Published 1:08 am Sunday, September 19, 2010

This wonderful hash thing we have going here at the Forum ends today, alas and alack, unless we have more fuel for the fire.

Meaning, of course, you-send-them recipes ranging from the treasured, handed-down here’s-hows to those from the “by-guess and by-gosh’’ ones you still might be able to dredge up from years ago, or those memories of hash, with or without recipe, never forgotten, still remembered.

Well, we already have a good start on great homemade hash, thanks to the more-please fixit shared by Lynnwood cook Natalie Dyer in the Sept. 13 Forum column.

And now, Scott Handley of Edmonds adds input, saying, “I was a late arrival for hash, but it’s wonderful. I like the recipe from ‘The Gourmet Cookbook,’ which I have played with a bit.

“Basically, it’s saute some onion and red bell pepper in olive oil and/or butter until the onion is soft. The recipe calls for boiled and cut-up potato, but I like to use frozen hash browns much more. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are done. Then add whatever meat and heat through. Get it a little crusty, if you like. And then, add a small amount of heavy cream, heat through and it’s done. Cooking eggs on top of the hash is optional.’’

Winding up, Scott says, “I’ve made this with corned beef, pork shoulder, lamb and even my home version of the Seattle restaurant Wild Ginger’s version of seven-flavor beef. Exact amounts don’t really matter, as long as the proportions of the ingredients seems reasonable to each other.’’

Next up, Arlington cook and faithful longtime Forum helper-outer Jean Kroeze sends us another of her wonderful letters, this time no recipe, per se, but the same incomparable remembrances that often figure in her comfy “from home’’ contributions.

“I got a kick out of your comments about hash in the Aug. 16 Forum,’’ she writes.

“We did make and eat hash at our house, both when I was growing up and also as an adult. Our hash was made from leftover roast beef.

“Since we had our own meat, we’d have a roast for Sunday dinner quite often, and once in a while after that, we’d have hash.

“Since I was the oldest, it was my job to grind the meat, potatoes and onion in the old-fashioned food chopper — the kind you clamp on the edge of the table or on a bread board.

“There wasn’t much ‘recipe’ to it — you just grind up the meat, boiled potatoes and an onion, and mix all that with the leftover gravy, and bake it in a casserole dish at — probably — 375 degrees for an hour.

“Various cookbooks say to use equal parts of meat and potatoes, but I used too much meat one time, and it wasn’t as good…

“I suppose you could use mashed potatoes and, if you don’t have enough gravy, use milk or water and a bouillon cube instead of the gravy.’’

Jean adds, “I remember Leola Klein of rural Arlington (Forum readers will remember that Leola is renowned for not only her fabulous made-from-scratch sourdough breads/rolls, etc., but other specialties from her kitchen as well, some of which she’s been generous enough to share with the Forum over the years) saying one time that she always grated the potatoes and chopped the meat. In this day and age, you could probably use a food processor.’’

Winding up, Jean says, “Most of the recipes in cookbooks cook hash on top of the stove, but I prefer oven baking. If you have enough gravy, it forms a nice crust — and that way, it’s not as much work! Pass the ketchup!’’

Don’t you love that bit about the ketchup?

Jean also says, “One of my brothers was just here and he commented that he always liked hash, and it was probably handed down from our maternal grandmother from the Midwest.’’

Another thought: “Now that I think about it,’’ Jean says, “maybe I’ll substitute leftover turkey after Thanksgiving for the beef. I always make extra gravy on purpose.’’

The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Good Life section.