Papas & Friends Hash Recipe

Prepare brine and potatoes

Dissolve 20 g kosher salt in 1 L of warm water to make a 2% brine. Scrub the potatoes but leave skins on. Pierce large potatoes once with a fork so they ferment evenly.

Ferment

Place potatoes in a clean jar or fermentation container. Pour brine to fully cover potatoes, weight them down if needed, and cover with an airlock lid or loosely with a lid/towel to allow gases to escape. Ferment at room temperature (18–22°C) for 3–5 days until a mild tang develops. Check daily and skim any white scum; discard if mold appears.

Finish potatoes

After fermentation, drain and rinse potatoes. Slice into 1/2-inch rounds. Heat 2 tbs neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pan-fry potatoes in batches until golden and crisp on both sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Season lightly with salt. Keep warm.

Poach garlic

Place peeled garlic cloves, 1 cup neutral oil, thyme sprigs and bay leaf in a small saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer over low heat (do not boil) and cook gently until cloves are tender and very soft, about 35–45 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in the oil. Reserve garlic and strain oil into a jar for other uses.

Mash confit

When cool enough, lightly mash 6–8 of the confit cloves with a fork to form a spreadable garlic paste to be folded into the hash. Reserve remaining whole cloves for garnish or mixing with potatoes.

Prepare roasted peppers

If using fresh peppers, roast over an open flame or under a broiler until charred, then steam briefly in a covered bowl and peel, seed, and chop into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. If using jarred roasted peppers, drain and chop.

Sauté hominy and peppers

Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the drained hominy and cook, stirring occasionally, until some kernels brown and crisp slightly, about 6–8 minutes. Add the chopped roasted red peppers, smoked paprika and 1 tsp chopped chipotle. Cook 2–3 more minutes to meld flavors. Season with a pinch of salt and remove to a bowl.

Sweat aromatics

In the skillet used for hominy (wipe if needed), heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

Braise greens

Add the chopped greens, 1/2 cup stock, lime juice, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until greens are tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 6–8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.

Combine hash components

Gently fold the pan-fried fermented potato rounds (cut into bite-size pieces if desired), sautéed hominy & peppers, and braised greens together in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the mashed garlic confit (to taste; start with 2–3 tbs) and toss carefully to coat, heating through 2–3 minutes so flavors marry. If mixture seems dry, add up to 1 tbs reserved garlic oil or neutral oil to loosen.

Crisp and finish

Press the mixture into an even layer and allow to brown without stirring for 2–3 minutes to create some crisp bits. Gently turn sections to brown the other side 1–2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Make epazote crema

In a blender or with an immersion blender, combine 3/4 cup crema, 2 tbsp fresh epazote, 1 tsp lime juice, lime zest and 1/4 tsp salt. Blend until smooth and slightly airy. Taste and adjust acidity or salt.

Prepare avocado

Halve the avocado, remove the pit and slice or dice. Toss lightly with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime if desired to prevent browning.

Divide the hash among 4 plates (or family-style). Dollop or drizzle epazote crema across the hash. Arrange avocado slices on top or to the side. Scatter reserved whole garlic confit cloves, sliced scallions and a few epazote leaves or microgreens. Serve with lime wedges on the side.