Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I was reading over on the CI forum where Vedette got a new piece of iron (a waffle), but I misunderstood and thought he was talking about a skillet.

Anyway, it got me thinking of a couple of spud recipes that go great in a CI skillet, so since I had already started typing when I discovered my error, I figured I would share them here (maybe I have already done so before?).

KC’s Skillet Browned Potato Hash (serves 2)
Couple of spuds diced into 1/4 inch cubes.
Small onion (Vidalia is nice) or shallot, diced
diced garlic
diced scallions, separate white from green
fresh thyme, minced
peanut or olive oil
butter (or herb butter, or sherry butter)
S&P to taste

Saute onions and whites of scallions in oil until translucent, add garlic along the way. A little salt now helps blend the flavors and draw moisture out.
Add spuds, stir to coat, then let simmer on low. Don't mess with it too much, just let it it bubble and squeak until each turn gets nice and brown. Ditto on the salt. Plan on about 15-20 min between turnings at the start, then check it more frequently to prevent burning. This part takes a good 45 min to an hour, sometimes longer.
Once the spuds are nice and brown on most of their sides (don't worry if you still see a white side here and there), and are cooked thru, add a dollop of butter and the greens, stir to heat thru, S&P to taste and serve.
Great with eggs and bacon, or as a side for dinner.

For herb butter I get the fresh herb "poultry season mix" from the vegetable section, de-stem and whirr in my mini-chop spice mill (do each variety of herb separately to control the texture...should be very fine fluff... stir the herbs together, then beat several tbsp's into a stick or two of room temp butter. This keeps very well in the fridge or freezer and can be used over a long period of time to season lots of dishes.

For sherry butter I like sweet sherry (Harveys Bristol Cream). Whip the butter and start adding the booze slowly until you start to see droplets staying on the sides of the bowl and the butter stops taking it in.

This goes super with roasted root veggies (chunked up spud...skin on, sweet spud wedges...skin on, onions, parsnips, diced celery root all rolled in olive oil to coat, s&p, stir thru it occasionally as it roasts). I usually do so much of this at a time that it is crowded in the roasting dish and by the time it is done it is somewhere between roasted and mashed; a country mash. Then with the left overs you can do the bubble and squeak in the skillet with the butter to brown. Kind of like a large mashed potato pancake.

Bon appetit.

Dang making me hungry

That sounds really good, KC! Thanks for sharing.

You are most welcome. To me, for the browned hash, the trick is the butter at the end, that way it doesn't burn, and tastes yummy. You will get a little char on some of the onions and garlic, the trick is to go slow. The fresh thyme is what makes it pair with eggs so well for me.

On the roasted root veggies, mom does it with just the sweet and red potatoes, and onion. I add the parsnips and celery root and wouldn't do it w/o them.