Corned Beef Hash, Spicy Butter Beans

This is comfort food incarnate and made with stuff you should have kicking about in tins and in the veg rack (well I do anyway). I made the hash mix in advance, pushed into rings and chilled before reheating later that evening but you can serve straight from the pan. You may also cheat and use tinned baked beans to speed up the progression of food to stomach. For two:

Ingredients:

Quality corned beef - 1x200g tin, cut into 1.5cm dice

Large baking potato - 1, skin on, scrubbed and cut into 1.5cm dice

Onion - 1, peeled and finely sliced

Worcestershire sauce - 1 tbsp

Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp

Eggs - 2 

Butter - 50g

Butter beans - 1x 400g tin, drained

Tomatoes - 1x 400g tin

1 small onion - peeled and finely chopped

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Garlic - 2 cloves, finely chopped

Tomato puree - 1 tbsp

Sugar - 2 tsp

Red wine vinegar - 2 tsp

1 red chilli - seeds in or out, finely chopped

Parsley or corriander - 1 tbsp chopped

Method:

Fry the small chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil until softened and starting to colour. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, vinegar and red chilli and simmer gently for 10 mins until the tomato starts to break down. Season with salt and pepper then toss in the butter beans and simmer very gently until the whole dish has a pleasing saucy consistency to it - maybe another 15 mins.

While the beans are cooking, heat a frying pan with the butter and fry the large sliced onion and the potatoes. When they start to brown and crisp, turn the heat right down and cover with a lid or a piece of baking parchment and allow to tick over on the stove until the potatoes are completely soft. Toss in the worcestershire sauce, the ketchup and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Mix in the corned beef and allow to warm through - the corned beef will begin to break down as it warms - this is fine. 

Fry your eggs, add the herbs to the beans and correct the seasoning. Divide the hash between two warmed plates along with the beans. Top with a fried egg. Now admire - it won't win a Michelin star but by god I bet you want to eat it!!


Note: A few people have been confused by my presentation in the photo above. I cooled the mix and pressed into a burger shapes before chilling in the fridge. This allows you to prepare in advance. To reheat, pan fry in oil until golden and finish in the oven to heat through. You can of course serve straight from the pan as in the recipe above which is equally as tasty, faster but maybe not as pretty.