At the temperatures start to drop, I start thinking about comfort foods. This is a favorite that can be served as a side dish or a meal. I like to make it on cold mornings with a poached egg on the top.
Recipe from Miles James - James At The Mill via The Zenchilada
Miles's Wild Mushroom & Potato Hash
1-1/2 pounds Irish potatoes
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 pound mixed "wild" mushrooms
(shitake, portobello, oyster, crimini)
1/8 cup fresh chopped thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1 white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
Salt
Pepper
Peel the potatoes and dice them about 1/2 inch square. In a large, deep-sided skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. When hot but not smoking, add the potatoes. cook until they begin to turn golden on the bottom. Use a spatula to gently turn them, and brown the other side, scraping any crust up from the bottom of the pan as you do.
While the potatoes are cooking, wipe the mushrooms clean of any grit and remove the stems. Place the stems, thyme, and cream in a heavy saucepan, and heat slowly on low. Chop the mushroom cps coarsely. When the potatoes begin to brown on the second side, add the mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. Stir to mix. again scraping any potato crust from the bottom of the skillet to prevent burning. cook until the potatoes, onion, and pepper are tender, about 4 minutes. If you need to turn the heat lower to prevent sticking, do, and take a little longer to cook, if necessary.
When the vegetables are tender, strain the cream, removing the thyme and stems, and add it to the hash. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring just enough to keep the mixture from sticking. When the cream boils, remove from the heat. Serve warm/
Serves 4 as an entree
6 to 8 as a side dish
Photograhy: Ryannan Bryer de Hickman for The Zenchilada
