Cheap Eats
SERVES: 4 to 6
This is great breakfast fare, nice and crisp. Two cakes with eggs is a generous serving.
INGREDIENTS:
- ¼ cup finely chopped fat from leftover Irish Corned Beef or finely chopped bacon
- ⅔ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup chopped leftover cabbage from corned beef
- ½ cup diced leftover root vegetables (a mixture of carrots, turnips, and parsnips) from corned beef
- 2 cups (about 1 pound) finely chopped leftover corned beef
- 2 cups diced leftover boiled potatoes from corned beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2-3 tablespoons bacon fat, butter, or olive oil
- 8-12 poached eggs for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the corned beef fat and cook until the fat has melted and the remaining solids are light brown. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and root vegetables and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
- Scrape the mixture into a large bowl, add the chopped meat and potatoes, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the beaten eggs. Form the mixture into 8 to 12 cakes about ¾ inch thick and 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Place on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.
- To fry, heat 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in a large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat and cook 3 or 4 cakes at a time until the bottoms are nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the cakes and brown the other sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and keep the cakes warm while you cook the remaining cakes, adding more fat if necessary.
- To serve, place a poached egg on top of each cake.
