Hash Browns with Relish Recipe

Here is a classic American recipe that works well as an accompaniment. Though often served for breakfast, these potato cakes work just as well as an accompaniment to a main course. They are very easy to make and they allow you to easily extend your main meal accompaniment repertoire. They can also be made vegetarian be replacing he smoked bacon with smoked cheese (but choose a hard cheese type that does not melt easily.

Hash Browns with Relish

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

750g (1 1/2 lbs) potatoes, peeled
6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, rinds removed and finely diced
45g butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
220g (7 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp horseradish sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Method:

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and parboil for 10 minutes then drain and cook under cold, running, water before patting dry.

Coarsely grate the potatoes and mix with the bacon then season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Melt the butter and 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Shape about 2 tbsp of the potato mixture into patties and cook in the butter mixture until crisp and golden brown then turn over and cook on the other side then remove from the pan.

Drain on kitchen paper and set in a low oven to keep warm whilst you cook the remaining hash browns.

For the relish, add the onion to the oil remaining in the pan and fry for about 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, salt and black pepper then bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture is pulpy.

Now stir in the horseradish, mustard and thyme. Cook for 1 minute more, or until the relish mixture is heated through.

Serve the hash browns with spoonfuls of the relish to accompany.