DAILY NEWSNYDailyNews.com Sunday, March 29, 2020 47
M
y years of being raised in the South
left an indelible taste for bacon
fat-coated vegetables, a rich treat-
ment I indulge in only once a year.
And while you can use butter or
olive oil in its place, the distinctive taste of
bacon fat works particularly well with that of
the root vegetables I use in the hash: creamy,
robust rutabaga and sharp, fresh celery root. I
toss in mushrooms because I love them, but
you can leave them out if they’re not your fa-
vorite.
The genius of this hash, though, is that it is
fully cooked in the oven.
There’s no finnicky turning and flipping in a
skillet, trying in vain to contain the mass of
veggies as they surely go spilling over the edge,
causing you to curse having to clean your stove
top again.
The veggies get steamed on a baking sheet to
get them tender before getting blanketed with
thick-cut bacon, which bastes the root vegeta-
bles in their fat as they render and cook. A final
blast of high heat gets the edges crisp and siz-
zling.
Istir in baby greens in the end to atone for
my choice of fat, and serve the whole melange
piping hot with a fried egg on top and sharp
pickled onions I threw together while the hash
baked. It’s a hearty breakfast.
A hearty root vegetable hash for breakfast
BY BEN MIMS
LOS ANGELES TIMESBacon-basted root vegetable hash
Time: 2 1 ⁄ 2 hours, largely unattended Makes:6 to 8 servings
If you want to make this hash vegetarian-friendly, omit the bacon and toss the vegetables with^1 ⁄ 2 cup olive oil
or melted butter in Step 3. Then cook the vegetables for 1 hour at 425 degrees or until they’re as crispy at the
edges as you like.3 pounds rutabaga (about 3
medium), trimmed, peeled and
cut into^1 ⁄ 2 -inch wedges (2^1 ⁄ 4
pounds)
1 1 ⁄ 2 pounds celery root (about 2
medium), trimmed, peeled and
cut into^1 ⁄ 2 -inch wedges (10
ounces)
1 pound mixed mushrooms,
halved or torn into bite-size
pieces
4 sprigs rosemary or 8 sprigs
thyme or a mix of both(^1) ⁄ 2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
lengthwise
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
14 to 16slices thick-cut bacon
4 cups mixed hearty salad greens
Freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8fried eggs
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. On
a large rimmed baking sheet,
combine the rutabaga, celery root
and mushrooms and toss to mix.
Spread the vegetables into an even
layer, then place the herb sprigs
evenly over the top. Cover the pan
with foil, crimping the edges shut,
and bake for 1 hour.
2. While the vegetables bake, make
the pickled onions: Combine the
onions, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt
in a medium bowl and refrigerate,
stirring every 10 minutes or so, until
softened, at least 1 hour. The onions
can be made up to 5 days in
advance and refrigerated in an
airtight container until ready to
use.
3. Uncover the pan and discard the
foil; increase the heat to 425
degrees. Arrange the bacon slices
evenly over the vegetables in a
single layer, then cook until the
bacon is cooked through, about 30
minutes (it will not be crisp). Using
tongs, transfer the bacon to paper
towels to drain and keep warm;
increase the oven temperature to
450 degrees. Use a flat metal
spatula to gently flip and
redistribute the veggies and herb
sprigs, ensuring they’re coated in
the bacon fat. Return the pan to the
oven and cook the vegetables,
flipping once halfway through, until
brown and crusty, 35 to 40 minutes
longer. (Add the bacon back on top
of the vegetables for the last 10
minutes of cooking if you want more
well-done bacon.)- Remove the pan from the oven,
remove the herb sprigs and stir the
greens into the veggies while they’re
hot so they wilt slightly. Season the
hash with salt and pepper and serve
while hot, topped with an egg and
some pickled onions.
Hearty rutabaga and mushroom hash, basted in bacon fat and served with fried eggs, the perfect breakfast for a crowd.
MARIAH TAUGER/LOS ANGELES TIMES; NIDIA CUEVA/FOOD STYLING