chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 08

corned beef hash

Tinned corned beef, has long been a popular item in the kitchen cupboards of the British home cook, ever since its creation circa 1899. When a processing plant was opened in Fray Bentos in Uruguay (probably by a Brit) who started exporting the product to the UK. The name Fray Bentos means Friar Benedict.

Growing up our kitchen cupboard was no different, we always seemed to have a can or two. It was long seen as a poor man's meal, but was a tasty source of animal protein in the diet.

To this day, in a day and age of such high technology, it still comes (regardless of brand) in its distinctive trapezoid shaped can, with a special key for opening it. The key is inserted into a tab, and turned and turned and turned to remove a strip off the lower part of the can, the base is then pulled away and the fatty, meaty, tasty processed beef slurps out onto a plate. Regardless of how careful you are, invariably the strip snaps part way through or the key snaps, leaving you with razor sharp tinned edges and a devil of a job to finish opening the can. I wonder how many fingers have been sliced open by these cans.

Wonderful in sandwiches, chilled and sliced with a summer salad and new potatoes, in a ploughman's lunch with pickles or in my mother's case fried as a fritter or as per the recipe belowas  a corned beef hash. The fritter recipe is the same as the spam fritter recipe, I have already posted. 

recipe - corned beef hash a la mamon

001 can corned beef 

001 pc  onion  

001 pc  instant potato mash
 1/2 cup grated cheddar 

recipe - method of preparation

Pre-heat oven to 180C 

Finely chop the onions and mix in a large bowl with the crumbled corned beef. Make up the instant mashed potato and season with salt, pepper and some butter. 

Combine all the ingredients and place into a lightly buttered casserole dish, even and flatten the top with a fork. Sprinkle with the cheese and place into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Serve with lashings of tomato ketchup, and bread and butter 

                                                                                                                                           

recipe - cheffie's corned beef hash

001 can corned beef 

001 pc   onion  
001 pc   garlic clove

001 kg   potatoes
100 gm  butter
001 cup grated vintage cheddar

recipe - method of preparation

Pre-heat oven to 180C 

Finely chop the onion and garlic and cook gently in some of the butter until softened but not coloured. Place into a large bowl and crumble in the corned beef. 

Bake the potatoes until softened (approx 45 - 60 minutes), remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Peel or cut in half and scoop out the flesh. Mash thoroughly with the remaining butter, taste and season with salt and pepper. Combine with the corned beef mixture and half the cheese

Combine all the ingredients and place into a lightly buttered casserole dish, even and flatten the top with a fork. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove and serve. 

                                                                                                                                           

Not one of my mother's recipes, but the following recipe came from a friend from the Solomon Islands where this dish is quite popular as a quick stand by meal. I was totally sceptic at first, as it didn't sound like a culinary winner to me. But I was pleasantly suprised. Hopefully you will be too. 

recipe - corned beef hash Solomon Islands

001 can       corned beef 

001 can       coconut milk 
001 bunch   spinach

recipe - method of preparation

Heat the coconut milk in a saucepan until almost simmering, add the washed picked spinach (stalks can remain intact) and crumble in the corned beef. Stir to combine and cook until mixture becomes homogenous. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with slabs of crusty bread with butter

next week - mum's cottage pie (not a shepherd in sight) .......