You know it as the satisfying centerpiece of a famous sandwich. But pimento cheese is a versatile ingredient, suited to a range of delicious preparations. Robert Wohlfeil is executive chef at Thr3 Jack, a golf-themed restaurant in Minneapolis that has six indoor simulators and a menu stocked with farm-fresh American fare. In celebration of the Masters, GOLF.com asked Chef Wohlfeil to recommend other uses for pimento cheese, aside from simply spreading it on bread. Here’s the second of four recipes he’ll share with us this week, one for each day of the tournament. (Check out Thursday’s pimento cheese-stuffed jalapenos here.)
If this were breakfast at Wimbledon, we’d be serving strawberries and cream. But this is breakfast at the Masters. Something heartier is in order.
Something like crispy hash browns and eggs, prepared Augusta style.
Pimento cheesy breakfast hash browns
The low-maintenance way to make hash browns is to buy pre-shredded, frozen potatoes, which are usually blanched and dried for easy frying. But there’s no reason you can’t start from scratch. If you’re going that route, Russet potatoes are your best bet. Whether you peel them or not is a matter of personal preference. Just be sure to scrub them clean.
Let the shredded potatoes soak for at least an hour, and for as long as overnight. This will pull out excess starches and help keep them from burning. Prior to cooking, dry the potatoes thoroughly by squeezing them in a paper towel.
Pro Tip: If you want your hash browns to turn out beautifully golden and crispy (and who doesn’t?), resist the urge to babysit them as they cook. Once the potatoes are in the pan or the griddle, leave them be until a firm crust starts to form on the bottom side. That’s when you’ll know it’s time to flip. Mowing them around or constantly checking for doneness can disrupt the crust before it’s set, yielding potatoes that are lightly crisped on the outside but overcooked and mushy on the inside.
Ingredients:
-2 ounces pimento cheese
-8 ounces grated potatoes
-Vegetable oil for frying
-Salt and pepper to taste
-2 eggs (optional)
-Green onions or arugula for garnish
Directions:
1. In a non-stick pan or griddle, heat cooking oil over medium heat.
2. Add the potatoes along with some additional oil to prevent them from burning. There should be enough oil in the pan to cover the edges of the potatoes, almost as if they are cooking in mini-deep dryer. If using a non-stick pan, be cautious when flipping the hash as to not spill oil and burn yourself.
3. Once the first side of the hash has crisped, flip carefully to the other side.
4. Spread the pimento cheese over the top and allow to melt as the bottom of the hash crisps.
5. If desired, fry an egg or two to serve alongside or on top of the hash browns, and garnish with freshly cut green onions.
