Corned beef hash – by Colin Capon
(serves 8 portions)
Filling
25ml olive oil (bacon fat dripping margarine)
140g onions peeled and sliced (rare commodity)
10g garlic (rare possibly wild available)
300g concasse tomatoes (whole tomatoes garden grown)
5ml Worcestershire sauce (larder a bottle lasted a long time)
300g potatoes cooked and diced (allotment garden-grown rationed)
300g corned beef cut into pieces (rationed)
Herbs (wild garden/window box grown)
Pastry
200g cooked potatoes
200g plain flour (scarce ration purchase)
6g baking powder (larder good substitute for eggs)
120g yellow lentils soaked and drained (rationed good substitute for flour)
130g corned beef trimmings (ration coupons surrendered fat substitute)
2 whole eggs (rare home laid substitute egg powder)
Seasoning (when available)
Water
Sauce
25g oil or bacon fat
75g onions diced (when available)
1-2 cloves garlic
200ml stock (vegetable water or rare meat stock)
200ml tomato juice (tinned or bottled tomatoes)
Fresh or dried herbs
1 dash Worcestershire sauce (larder)
Seasoning
100ml cream (scarce top of the milk powder or tinned)
500g assorted root vegetables carrots turnips swedes (if and when available)
100g beetroot peeled and shredded (popular vegetable local-grown)
100g leek tops finely sliced (optional Brussels sprouts stalks trimmed)
Method
Lightly fry the onions and garlic in oil add the tomatoes juice and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes until tender. Reduce by half stir in the potatoes and corned beef herbs and seasoning. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes.Allow to cool.
Make up the pastry by placing all the ingredients in a food processor apart from the water blend to a dough adding a little water if required to form a moist paste. Divide into 8 equal portions roll out and line 8 x 75mm x 40mm deep stainless steel ring moulds lightly oiled. Fill each timbale with equal quantities of corned beef hash. Bake in a moderate oven until the pastry is lightly browned and cooked.
To make the sauce fry the onions and garlic in oil or fat lightly colour for flavour. Add the stock tomato juice and herbs. Bring to the boil simmer until cooked strain or purée finish with a little seasoning and cream.
Shred the root vegetables in to thin strips lightly stir-fry or steam. Cook off the beetroot in a similar way and fry the leeks in a little oil until crispy.
Arrange the root vegetables in the centre of the plate. Place the corned beef hash in the centre of the vegetables and surround with a little tomato sauce. Top up the timbale with any remaining heated hash filling arrange the beetroot on top and garnish with fried leek strips. Serve.
