Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
2 lbs Russet potatoes, cubed
3/4 lb corned beef, cubed
2 “baby” or “spring” Vidalia onions, greens and white parts chopped
2 yellow beets with greens*
1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
fresh thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
fried eggs to serve
Directions:
Cube the beets (chop and reserve the greens) and parboil with the potatoes. Drain thoroughly.
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet. Saute the onion, potatoes, and beets until the onion is translucent. Add the corned beef, greens, herbs and spices. Saute until the corned beef is heated through. Plate and top with fried egg(s).
*I used yellow cylindra beets which are so pale they are almost white.
My thoughts:
Red flannel hash is a classic New England breakfast dish that adds red beets to corned beef hash. The story behind the name varies depending on who telling it (I’ve heard everything from laundry mishaps to vengeful wives serving actual flannel to bizarre war stories) but the most common explanation is that the finished dish looks like a red flannel shirt thanks to the beets dying the potatoes pink and the pinky corned beef.
Beets are in season so I thought it was a perfect excuse to make it! I also bought corned beef and froze it back near St Patrick’s day and my freezer is bursting at the seams so it’s a win-win for me. My beets turned out to be yellow so I changed the name to golden flannel hash and added the beet greens and (also in season) kale for some extra flavor and vitamins(!) which is not strictly traditional but I think it makes a great addition. This would be a good use of leftover greens or cabbage if you had some too. While hash seems breakfasty, it is so hearty, I like to serve it for dinner. I parboil the potatoes ahead of time so it comes together more quickly, they keep just fine in the fridge for a day or two.
So homey and satisfying, even if it is summer and it seems slightly better suited for winter! It’s not like you stop eating hot food just because it is hot out and at least this only needs a brief fry to heat everything up. Plus all of the vegetables are in season right now so why not use them at their peak tastiness?
