Hashes are underrated. Beyond a side of hash browns – typically in the form of a flattened loaf of fried shredded potatoes wrapped inside a thin McDonald’s sleeve – I’d never really experienced a hash until last year during my Portland food field trip when I sampled my friends salmon hash at Mother’s Bar and Bistro, quickly saddened by the fact that I couldn’t finish it for her. It’s not a dish readily found on breakfast, brunch menus. It’s easy to spend a lifetime finding nothing but the familiar side dish, maybe made zesty with onions and bell peppers but not much else.
Enter Hash House a-Go-Go, a place Id’ heard great things about, in particular the sheer size of their offerings; their monstrous pancakes, their monument of waffles and chicken. It seemed the perfect spot to take my now 13-year-old on her birthday while in Vegas since the evening of her birthday and the days leading up to it would be spent on stage at her dance competition.
So an early Wednesday morning it was. Looking over the menu, only then did it click that there truly was hash in the house – it wasn’t just a catchy Vegas-y name. While many an item caught my eye, I had to get a hash. A dish in its own right, served with sides of its own sides (fruit and a biscuit). There were all sorts – meatloaf hash, veggie hash, pork tenderloin hash. I knew, however, that the salmon hash was for me, a gratification that had been delayed for much too long.
I didn’t finish it all, though I made a respectable dent in the mound of crisped potatoes, eggs, cream cheese, scallions, and smoked salmon. Not a problem, as the rich, balanced flavors only settled and satisfied more when reheated and enjoyed as a late evening snack.
Back to the LBC, I couldn’t stop thinking about my salmon hash experience; couldn’t wait for another trip to Portland or Vegas. It was time to hash things out myself. After looking up a few recipes ranging from intricate to simple, I whipped up one of my own that gets me close to hash heaven without keeping me in the kitchen all morning or using 20 ingredients.
It’s really pretty simple. While blackening my salmon, I fry up a batch of store-bought O’Brien potatoes or Southwest style hash browns, adding in extra sliced onions and bell peppers (because I like things zesty). And plenty of salt, pepper, and garlic.
When all is good, I add the salmon to the potatoes and mix in a few spoons of cream cheese or plain Greek yogurt. If I’m feeling fancy, I might sprinkle the potatoes with finely chopped chives or dill.
So while my hash jones has been placated for now, I’m on the hunt for new and different ones. Some local hashes. When I find another, you’ll certainly hear all about it.
Hash House A Go Go
At The Linq in Vegas and other locations