INDIVIDUAL CHEESE & ONION HASH BROWNS

SERVES 6 (as a side)

Ah, the three amigos – potato, cheese and onion. These little pots of joy are great with steak, another meal-time hero.

3 tbsp butter, plus extra

for greasing

2 onions, thinly sliced

400g potato, peeled and grated Large pinch of cayenne pepper Sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper

3 tbsp sour cream

125g good melting cheese,

such as gouda, grated

175g Swiss cheese, such as

gruyère, grated

1 Grease six 200ml capacity ramekins with butter and set on a baking tray.

2 Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a frying pan over medium and cook the onion for 5-10 minutes or until soft and a little golden. Tip onto a plate lined with a paper towel to drain a little.

3 Meanwhile, dry the grated potato quite thoroughly with a paper towel. Toss in a bowl with the cayenne pepper and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.

4 Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced.

5 Place the frying pan back over medium heat. Melt the remaining butter and cook the potato for about 10 minutes, stirring often, so it cooks and browns a little all over but doesn’t stick. The potato strands should be fairly dry and a little crispy at the edges. Scrape into a bowl, leave to cool a little, then mix in the sautéed onion, sour cream, gouda and half the Swiss cheese.

6 Pack the mixture into the ramekins, top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with more pepper. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling on top. Leave to sit for a minute or two before serving – the ramekins will be really hot!