Updating Chicken Hash

by Dana Jacobi for The American Institute for Cancer Research

Hash is what I call a high-and-low dish. It started out as a way of using leftovers, particularly cooked beef, extended by mixing it with vegetables. In America, the word was first used in the 1700s, in reference to Shepherd’s Pie, a plebian food that is part of our British heritage.

By the 1800s, inexpensive restaurants called hash houses were known for their mediocre food. According to a menu from 1850, the Eldorado Hotel in California’s gold rush country offered “Low Grade Hash” for 75 cents and “18 Carat Hash” for one dollar. These are parts of hash’s low history.

Then, during the last century, hash moved up the culinary ladder until it began to be served in posh spots like the 21 Club restaurant in New York City. At one point, 21’s famous chicken hash was the best selling item on the menu. Because of its persistent popularity, it is still on the menu, but slimmed down and now served with baby spinach and toast - for $36.00.

The challenges in making good-tasting and nutritionally sensible hash requires the right combination of chopped meat and other ingredients, usually including potatoes and a creamy binder, and frying it to create a crisp outer crust using a modest amount of a healthful fat.

For my own chicken hash, I follow the third definition above and use flavorful roasted chicken. In place of cream sauce, I use just enough butter and reduced-fat milk to create a rich, creamy binder. I also add generous amounts of chopped sweet pepper, celery and onion. Finally, using cooking spray keeps the fat content low and helps brown the hash to perfection.

Creamy Chicken Hash - Makes 4 servings.

1 scrubbed medium (6 oz.), russet potato
2 Tbsp. butter or canola oil, divided
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
canola cooking spray
2 cups (8 oz.) diced skinless cooked chicken breast
2 Tbsp. reduced-fat (2 %)milk
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. prepared barbecue sauce
Shred the potato and set aside. (It will darken in color, but this will not affect hash.)

Heat 1 tbsp. butter or oil in a medium/large non-stick skillet. Add onion, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Sauté until lightly browned, 5 minutes. Push vegetables to one side of pan. Add remaining butter or oil. Add potatoes and mix with oil to coat them. Mix and combine well with the vegetables. Cook 3 minutes. If potatoes stick, scrape pan vigorously and move contents around pan to spray the bottom with cooking spray.

Mix in chicken, milk, cayenne, salt and pepper. Spread and flatten out the mixture into a thick cake. Use the edge of a pancake turner to cut it into 4 sections. (Or, hash can be broken into rough pieces while cooking.) Cover the pan. Cook until potatoes are tender and hash is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes, turning so bottom sides can also brown. (Spray pan with oil spray if necessary while turning hash.)

When hash is done, divide equally among four plates. Serve with barbecue sauce drizzled on top or around each portion. (If desired, sauce can be first be thinned, by mixing 4 tablespoons sauce with 4 tablespoons milk.)

Per serving: 235 calories, 9 g. total fat (less than 5 g. saturated fat), 13 g. carbohydrate, 23 g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 195 mg. sodium.