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Spanish Potatoes
1 tablespoon minced onion 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento 4 tablespoons oil or drippings 2 cups cold boiled potatoes, diced 1/2 cup cold cooked ham, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon paprika Fry the onion, pepper and pimiento in the fat until light brown, add the diced potatoes, the chopped ham and seasonings and cook until thoroughly heated through.
A straightforward skillet hash from the era when "Spanish" on a menu meant onion, sweet pepper and pimiento rather than anything from Spain. The whole dish depends on the potatoes being cooked and thoroughly chilled before they meet the pan.
- Cold potatoes are not optionalBoiled potatoes must be fully cold, ideally refrigerated overnight, before dicing. Warm ones shed starch and collapse into paste instead of browning at the cut edges.
- DrippingsBacon or roast fat suits the dish and gives good flavour; 4 tablespoons is generous but workable for a well-crusted hash. Olive or neutral oil works, though butter alone will scorch before the potatoes colour.
- PimientoThe canned or jarred sweet red pepper the recipe means is still sold, packed in brine. Drain and pat it dry, or the liquid will steam the pan. A roasted red pepper from a jar is a fair substitute.
- Heat and panUse a heavy skillet over medium-high, around 12 inches for this quantity so the potatoes sit in one layer. Cast iron gives the best crust, though the recipe itself asks only that the mixture be heated through.
- "Cook until heated through"The recipe gives no time; 8 to 12 minutes is a reasonable reading. If you want a crust, press the hash flat, leave it undisturbed three or four minutes at a stretch, then turn in sections rather than stirring constantly.
- HamAny cooked ham off the bone, or a thick deli slice diced small. It is already salted, so hold back some of the teaspoon of salt until you taste at the end.
- YieldServes two as a main course with eggs on top, or four as a side dish.