The Chew: Red Flannel Hash Recipe with Fried Eggs by Mario Batali

The Chew: New England Breakfast

The Chew is spending a week traveling the country to share some of America’s best regional specialities that are served up on menus throughout the land. The destination of the day was New England, and among the selections were Boston Cream Pie and New England Clambake. Mario Batali next turned his culinary eyes toward breakfast, serving up Red Flannel Hash with Fried Eggs.

But first, Mario Batali explained the apocryphal tale of how the New England classic of Red Flannel Hash came into existence.

“Rumor has it that the dish was invented by taking the leftovers of a boiled Irish dinner, which would be corned beef and cabbage and potatoes,” Mario said. “And that some strange cuckolded husband, who was being treated poorly by his wife, had his…red flannel underwear chopped up and thrown into the dish. He liked it so much that his wife continued to make it.”

Mario Batali: Red Flannel Hash with Fried Eggs Recipe

If that origin story hasn’t ruined your appetite, just think of hash as “the leftovers of something made into something even more delicious for breakfast.”

Carla Hall said that the short vegetable growing seasons led to hearty dishes that relied on potatoes or beets out of necessity.

“Part of the really goodness of understanding cooking is letting the pan do the work and looking like you don’t care,” Mario said, suggesting that you ignore the smoking of the skillet. He promised that the recipe is easy to make, even for college students or those with limited cooking skills

The Chew: Red Flannel Hash Recipe by Mario Batali

Here’s the boilerplate recipe for breakfast hash, which makes about five servings at a cost of around $1.70 per plate. You can’t beat that price, especially when you’re cooking with leftovers.

Ingredients

• 1 part Potatoes
• 1 part Corned Beef, Roast Beef, Chicken or Turkey
• 1 part Beets, cooked
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 5 tablespoons Butter
• 5 Eggs
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• Parsley, chopped
• Hot Sauce, to taste
• Cilantro
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Heat 4 parts butter on medium high in a seasoned Cast Iron Skillet.
2. Cut Potatoes into ⅓” cubes.
3. Cube Corned Beef or other meat.
4. Chop Beets into same size cubes.
5. Add Potatoes, Beets and Corned Beef, seasoning with Salt and Pepper.
6. Toss and cook until warm. Add Worcestershire and Parsley, letting mixture crisp.
7. In a separate pan, combine Olive Oil and remaining Butter on medium.
8. Crack Eggs and prepare as desired.
9. Top Hash with Fried Egg and Cilantro. Use Hot Sauce, Salt & Pepper to season to taste.