John Torode’s cheesy hash brown bake
To celebrate National Cheese Day, John Torode’s in the kitchen with a brunch that’s too gouda to be true! He’ll be putting a cheesy twist on the classic hash brown, as well as taking us through the best British cheese to buy from the supermarket.
Cheesy hash brown bake
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the hash brown Butter, for greasing 300ml crème fraîche 50ml milk 625g hash browns, defrosted Salt and freshly ground black pepper1 x 285g tin of sweetcorn, drained 6 spring onions, sliced200g cheddar, grated12 slices of crispy bacon, chopped
For the poached eggs White wine vinegar 4 eggs Or 4 fried eggs with cheese on them
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ Gas 5. Grease a large ovenproof dish with butter.
2. In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the milk.
3. In another, large bowl, crumble the hash browns into small chunks, season with salt and pepper, then add the sweetcorn and most of the spring onions, cheese and bacon. Tip in the milk and crème fraîche mixture and stir gently to combine.
4. Press the mixture into the greased dish. Scatter with the remaining spring onions, cheese and bacon. (this can be prepared to this stage and left in the fridge overnight.) Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes.
5. For the poached eggs, place a large pan of water on to boil. Add a splash of vinegar to a little bowl, pour the vinegar into the boiling water, then crack the egg into the vinegar bowl and let it sit for a second.
6. Lower the heat, swirl the water and gently tip the egg from the bowl down the side of the pan; let it set for 2–3 minutes. discard the egg tail using a spoon to cut it off. Drain the egg on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining 3 eggs (or cook 2 at a time).
7. Spoon the hash brown mixture onto a plate, make a dent in the centre then top with a poached egg, and finish with a sprinkle of black pepper.