Hash!
My first turkey in years led to my first turkey hash in years. Damn, it’s good stuff! And there’s not much to it. I modified Julia Child’s recipe from The Way to Cook, taking out the veg (except for a handful of peas) and the cheese.
I’ve also managed to do a pretty good job on the leftover apple crisp and pumpkin cheesecake. I’m not the kind of person who can ignore two of the tastiest desserts in existence. Mysteriously, disturbingly, I’ve gotten little help from those kids, who are supposed to be growing and needing calories, for crying out loud.
Julia Child’s Old-Fashioned Hash:
Serves 4
2 cups boneless, skinless cooked turkey, cut into small pieces
2 cups of diced potatoes
1 cup diced onion
1 TSP fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
2 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
2 TB flour
1 1/2 cups hot liquid (milk, chicken stock, gravy; I used stock)
2/3 cups diced vegetables (peas, carrots, broccoli;I used frozen peas)
2/3 cups grated cheese (Swiss, cheddar, Monterey Jack or mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, toss the turkey with the lemon juice, olive oil, and thyme; set aside.
Peel and dice the potatoes. Drop them into a pot of lightly salted water and simmer, 5 minutes or so, until barely tender. Drain.
Saute the onions slowly in a 10-inch frying pan with the butter until tender. Raise heat slightly and brown lightly, about 10 minutes. Blend in the flour; cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and blend in one cup of hot liquid. Simmer, stirring, for two minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold in the potatoes, turkey and the peas, and the remaining hot liquid. Cover the pan and simmer slowly, uncovering to stir occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and you can’t wait to eat any longer! That was about 10-15 minutes for me; Julia likes to keep it simmering 35 minutes, adding liquid as necessary, and then adding cheese and cooking uncovered until the bottom is browned and well-crusted.
alexandra alger 