For your dinner, not just any old skillet hash will do
You may know a skillet hash as the last stop for leftover spuds. But I encourage you to pick up a few pounds of buttery-tasting, yellow-fleshed potatoes just for this particular version. They become tender within a half hour without any precooking, yet they will hold their shape and allow for those money-shot crisped edges.
This hash is simple, and it relies on the flavor imparted by a smoky sausage and fresh rosemary. Keeping a vacuum-packed link on hand — we used a turkey sausage here — seems like a good plan for omnivores who like the tastes of fall. You could easily build on that theme by adding chopped apples with a touch of maple syrup. Or roasted Brussels sprouts and an Instagrammable fried egg.
There is something to be said, though, for letting the basic trio of potato, meat and onion stand on its own. ONE-SKILLET SAUSAGE AND POTATO HASH
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Leftovers taste great cold or warmed up in a skillet next to sunny-side-up eggs.
Yellow-fleshed potatoes will taste nice and buttery. But waxy red potatoes will work as well; see the VARIATION, below.
Serve with a salad.
Adapted from “The Farmhouse Chef: Recipes and Stories From My Carolina Farm,” by Jamie DeMent (University of North Carolina Press, 2017).
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold or Dutch Baby Gold potatoes (may use red-skinned potatoes; see the VARIATION, below)
3 small or 2 medium onions
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper 13 ounces smoked Polish turkey sausage (may substitute cured/cooked andouille sausage)
Leaves from 2 stems rosemary Steps
1. Scrub the potatoes, then cut them into ½-inch chunks. Coarsely chop the onions.
2. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the potatoes and onions to coat. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring several times to avoid scorching. Season with a good pinch each of the salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, cut the sausage on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices.
This hash is simple, and it relies on the flavor imparted by a smoky sausage and fresh rosemary.
Finely chop the rosemary.
4. Reduce the heat to medium; stir in the sausage and half of the rosemary. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often to keep the sausage from scorching, until the sausage and some potatoes are crisped at the edges. Add the remaining rosemary in the last minute or two of cooking. Taste and season with more salt and/or pepper, as needed.
VARIATION: If you’d like to use red-skinned potatoes, cook them with the onions for the initial 10 to 12 minutes, then add ½ cup water to the pan; once the water has evaporated (and the potatoes are more tender), continue with the recipe as directed above.
Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 310 calories, 13 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 7 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar