Lump Crabmeat Hash with Lemon-Sage Aioli

To download a copy of the recipe for Crabmeat Hash with Lemon-Sage Aioli, click HERE.

Hash, that great comfort food, has been the subject of a previous post here as Turkey Hash Pie. This week we’re taking hash in a completely different, and no less delicious, direction. Imagine lump crab meat and crisp potatoes combined with sautéed vegetables and just a kiss of bacon, topped with a cooked egg (a hash tradition), and dressed with a lemon-sage aioli. It’s easy, full of great taste, and - just as important - allows plenty of room for you to customize the ingredients to your liking!

Some Cook’s Notes before we begin:

• In this recipe, I’ve used a good quality canned lump crab meat. Cooking fresh crab is never wrong, and can even be downright glorious, but it's not practical to do at all times and in every place.

• For the aioli – basically, garlic-infused mayonnaise – you can make your own mayonnaise base if you like, but I went with a prepared jar of low-fat mayonnaise. (After making marshmallow cream from scratch for a cake frosting in last week’s post, I thought we deserved to use something in a jar this week.)

• The traditional egg accompaniment is usually sunny side up or poached, but make whatever kind you like; it’s your hash, after all. (I make mine sunny-side up as in the photo at the top, but make similar portions for my wife and son topped with scrambled eggs.) In cooking, as in all things, an important lesson about doing things “by-the-book” is this: Do you know who wrote “the book?” Nobody.

•  A special thanks to loyal reader (and good friend) Kim, a great cook and life-long New Englander, for helping a north Jersey guy with valuable insights into seasoning crabmeat.

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Let’s start by making the aioli.

Chop two garlic cloves. Use the flat of the knife blade to press them into a paste.

Combine the garlic paste in a bowl with ½ cup low fat mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon dried sage; 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice; and kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste.

Whisk until smooth, then cover and set aside till ready to serve.

To get the potatoes started:

Par-bake 2 pounds of russet potatoes for about 1/3 the amount of time it would take to bake them fully (approximately 4-5 minutes in a microwave, or 15-20 minutes in a 425 degree oven). When the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/2" cubes.

Prepare the vegetables as follows:

Cut ¾ of a green bell pepper into a ½” dice. Cut the remainder into a fine dice and place in a small dish, separate from the larger dice. Do the same for a red bell pepper. Cut ¾ of a large celery rib into 1/8” slices. Cut the remainder into a fine dice and add to the fine-diced peppers.

Cut a medium onion into a ½” dice.

To cook the hash:

Heat 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the potatoes, season with a little salt, and cook for several minutes until the potatoes are browned and crisp. Set the cooked potatoes aside in a bowl.

Using the same pan over medium-high heat, cook 2 ounces of turkey bacon, chop into pieces, and add to the potatoes.

Adding a little oil to the pan only if necessary, cook 2 cloves of minced garlic till aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the ½” diced peppers, the 1/8” celery slices, the onion, ¾ cup of corn kernels and 1 bay leaf. Sauté till cooked. Add the potatoes, bacon, crab meat, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp dried tarragon, and ¾ tsp hot sauce. Cook till heated through, about two minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Divide the half into four portions and keep them warm (such as in a warm oven) while you prepare the eggs.

Next we’ll cook our eggs. Cook them any way that is desired. Sunny side up, prepared as follows, is frequently used. Cook one egg for each serving.

In a non-stick pan over medium heat, melt just enough butter substitute to coat the pan. The pan should be large enough for the number of eggs being cooked, or work in batches. Break the eggs into the pan, being careful not to break the yolks.

Immediately reduce the heat to low. (If firmer whites are desired, add ½ tsp of water per egg to the pan and cover with a lid or plate. For looser whites, don’t add the water and keep the pan uncovered.) Cook slowly, usually 2 – 3 minutes, until the whites have set and the yolks have started to thicken. (The doneness of the yolks can be checked by gently shaking the pan and seeing how the yolks move.)

Near the end of cooking, baste the eggs with melted butter substitute.

Season with salt and pepper after the eggs have finished cooking.

To serve:

Using a spatula, top each serving of hash with one of the eggs.

Garnish each serving with the fine diced green pepper, red pepper and celery.

Top with lemon aioli for serving.

To download a copy of the recipe for Crabmeat Hash with Lemon-Sage Aioli, click HERE.

Serve as is or with a favorite side dish, and you’re all set for a great meal your family and guests will love!

Visit us again next week for more tasty meal ideas! Till then, stay well, keep it about the food, and always remember to kiss the cook. ;-)