Miles's Wild Mushroom and Potato Hash

Serves 4 as an entree,
6 to 8 as a side dish

Miles James shared this wonderful recipe, which makes use of the meaty flavors of the many mushrooms which grow in the Ozarks Plateau. At James at the Mill, they serve this as a side dish, and Miles notes that it is great with game, like venison, or hearty meats, such as lamb. When I made it at home, however, we ate the hash as a main course with a simple salad of greens, apple, and onion in vinaigrette. It's nice to have a little sourdough bread on the side to sop up the very last of the juices.

1-1/2 pounds Irish potatoes
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 pound mixed "wild" mushrooms
(shiitake, portobello, oyster, crimini)
1/8 cup fresh chopped thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1 white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
Salt
Pepper

Peel the potatoes and dice them about 1/2 inch square. In a large, deep-sided skillet or sauté pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. When hot but not smoking, add the potatoes. Cook until they begin to turn golden on the bottom. Use a spatula to gently turn them, and brown the other side, scraping any crust up from the bottom of the pan as you do.

While the potatoes are cooking, wipe the mushrooms clean of any grit and remove the stems. Place the stems, thyme, and cream in a heavy saucepan, and heat slowly on low. Chop the mushroom caps coarsely. When the potatoes begin to brown on the second side, add the mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. Stir to mix, again scraping any potato crust from the bottom of the skillet to prevent burning. Cook until the potatoes, onion, and pepper are tender, about 4 minutes. If you need to turn the heat lower to prevent sticking, do, and take a little longer to cook, if necessary.

When the vegetables are tender, strain the cream, removing the thyme and stems, and add it to the hash. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring just enough to keep the mixture from sticking. When the cream boils, remove from the heat. Serve warm.

Butter Beans to Blackberries
Recipes from the Southern Garden
By Ronni Lundy
North Point Press
A division of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.
Hardback, $27.50, May 1999
ISBN: 0-86547-547-4
Recipe Reprinted by permission.