Poached Egg and Corned Beef Hash

The up-side to making 5 pounds of corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day is that I got to make corned beef hash with the 1/2 pound leftover after the voracious hordes devoured the rest. I’d never made corned beef hash before (heck, before last week, the only “corned beef” I’d tasted was the kind that comes in a red can), but how can you go wrong with potatoes, meat, and onions?

Poached Egg and Corned Beef Hash
2 generous servings; 3 normal-sized servings

1/2 lb. corned beef, cut into small dice
2 large or 3 medium potatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 or 3 eggs (depending on how many servings you’re making)
Salt and pepper

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until you can stick in a fork in them with only slight resistance. Let cool. Peel and cut into small dice.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and sweat the onions on a gentle heat until translucent and soft. move the cooked onions to a medium bowl.

3. To the onions, add the diced corned beef and potatoes. Add a dash of salt (not too much – the corned beef is likely to already be quite salty) and a few turns of freshly ground pepper. Add the chicken stock and toss to combine.

4. Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet over medium heat. Spread the corned beef mixture in the skillet, pressing down to ensure an even layer. Cook undisturbed for about 10 minutes, until a well-browned crust forms on the bottom of the hash.

5. Turn the hash over with a large spatula, and cook the other side for another 10 minutes. During these last 10 minutes of cooking, poach your eggs using the method you like best (I have these nifty silicone egg poachers).

6. Transfer your hash to plates, top with one poached egg per serving, and dig in!