Crab Hash

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 8 ounces fully cooked crabmeat
• 1 lb large red bliss potatoes, unpeeled
• 2 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• coarse salt or sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• vinegar, for poaching
• 4 -6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 scallions, sliced thin

Recipe

• 1 remove any cartilage and shell from the crab meat.
• 2 cut the meat into chunks.
• 3 cover and refrigerate.
• 4 boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes.
• 5 drain and let cool.
• 6 cut the potatoes, with their skins, into ½-inch dice.
• 7 place in a mixing bowl.
• 8 cook the bacon in an 8- or 9-inch sauté pan over medium heat until browned and crisp.
• 9 remove the pan from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the fat in the pan.
• 10 add the bacon to the potatoes.
• 11 return the sauté pan to the heat and add the onion and pepper.
• 12 turn up the heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until browned.
• 13 add the thyme and paprika, mix well and remove from the heat.
• 14 add the onion and pepper (including the fat) to the potatoes.
• 15 mix in the crab meat and season with salt and pepper.
• 16 mix very well, mashing the potato a bit so that the mixture sticks together.
• 17 divide the mixture into four 8-ounce portions and shape into 5-inch cakes.
• 18 refrigerate until ready to cook.
• 19 fill a deep pan with water for poaching the eggs.
• 20 lightly salt the water and add 1 tablespoon vinegar for each cup of water.
• 21 bring to a boil, then lower the heat so that it barely simmers.
• 22 heat the oil in a well-seasoned 12- to 14-inch skillet over medium high heat.
• 23 cook the hash"cakes" (they should sizzle when you add them to the pan) for about 5 minutes until the sides are crisp and brown.
• 24 using a spatula, turn the cakes over.
• 25 if they break when turning, don't worry; just use the spatula to reshape them in the pan.
• 26 meanwhile, break the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and slide each into the poaching liquid.
• 27 do this quickly so that all the eggs cook in about the same amount of time.
• 28 it will take only 2 minutes for a loose poached egg: whites barely set and yolks runny.
• 29 center each hash cake on a medium plate and, using a slotted spoon, gently place a poached egg on top.
• 30 grind a bit of pepper over each egg and sprinkle the scallions over the entire dish.
• 31 serve at once.