Sunday, October 17, 2010

Azorean dreams and corned beef hash




It's normally around this time that I make my annual pilgrimage to Flores in the Azores to see my old friends Carol (aka Mung) and Neil.

But what with one thing (three months in Paris) and another (a trip to Scotland last month), I didn't think it fair to leave BB slaving away at the coalface while I disappeared off again on a jolly.

I'm sad not to be going this year. There's something about the peaceful rhythms of this tiny island, its savage beauty, the luminous sea, that makes me resolve to do - and be - something different.
 
Flores, Azores

But living in a little pocket of paradise bang in the middle of the Atlantic has its drawbacks; for one thing, you can't buy a tin of corned beef. The Mung and I have a great affinity for corned beef. In fact, it was over a corned beef and Branston Pickle filled roll that we first bonded, in a little caf opposite Edinburgh Sheriff Court not long after we met.

And we both agree that the tastiest thing to do with corned beef is corned beef hash with a fried egg on top.


Ingredients
Serves 2

tin of corned beef (the best quality you can find)
10 oz / 275 g waxy potatoes
1 large onion
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grain mustard
2 eggs
2 - 3 tbsp oil for frying
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut the corned beef into chunks and mix in a bowl with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and grain mustard and set aside. In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes into chunks and steam until nearly tender. Finely slice the onion. 

2. Fry the onion in the oil until soft and browned at the edges. Add the potatoes and corned beef, some salt and pepper and  heat through. Fry the eggs in a separate pan and serve on top of the hash.

9 comments:

Mick said...

Naked basket weaving! Makes topless darts sound boring.

Kathie said...

No fair! You're just giving me "saudades" for the Azores again, because we couldn't make it this year either :-(

sweetbittertart said...

Oh what a beautiful place!! The hash and eggs look pretty fetching as well!

Anonymous said...

This dish goes perfectly well with (parts of) the pigshead. I still miss my old friend... how was Scotland?

Sarah said...

Anon - Scotland was great, thanks. Wet though!

Dirndle said...

Although I hate corned beef with a passion! I found your latest blog extremely entertaining!
Keep it up!

Olga said...

I thought it never rained in Scottish Land!

Stuart said...

Olga from the Volga has obviously never been to Scotland!

PatsyAnne said...

Oh my goodness - I could "almost" taste it! And can't wait until Saturday to buy all the ingredients that I need to make it!

Along with a large cup of hot tea and toasted slices of whole grain bread with real butter melting on them... what a great mid-day supper on an cold autumn day.

I once was in love with a beautiful, genle young man who couldn't wait to grow old and retire so he could move back to Flores in the Azores, where he had grown up. I remember only one thing he taught me - how to say "kiss" in Portugese - what a wonderful memory you've brought back to me. Thanks ever so much!