Lobster Hash Browns

Lobster Hash Browns

Serves 2-4

3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled, cut into ½-inch dice

1 large onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, minced fine

Unsalted butter

Milk or half-and-half

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

½ to ¾ pounds cooked lobster meat (~ 2 lobster tails), cut into ½-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon paprika

Dried bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Dry half the potato cubes with paper towels and toss them with 2 tb olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Add a little more oil if they’re not all coated enough.  Spread the cubes out on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, turning once or twice and scraping the pan, until the potato cubes are a nice golden brown.  Remove the sheet from the oven and set it aside to cool.

In the meantime, put the remaining potato cubes in a small saucepan, add some salt, cover with cold water by an inch or so, and set over high heat to bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  While the potatoes are boiling, melt 2 tb of butter in a large sauté pan and cook the onion and bell pepper with some salt, pepper, the cayenne, and the paprika, until the vegetables are soft and just beginning to brown.

When the potatoes are soft, drain them and put them back in the hot saucepan to dry them off.  Put the dried potatoes in a large bowl and mash them coarsely with a fork or potato masher.  Add at least one tablespoon of butter and a little salt and pepper.  The potatoes should be about the consistency of mashed potatoes you’d eat as a side dish, or maybe a little looser.  Add milk or half-and-half by teaspoonfuls if you need it to get the right consistency.

Fold in the sautéed vegetables and the lobster meat, then gently fold in the browned potato cubes.  Set the mixture aside to cool enough for you to handle.  When it’s cool, form it into four patties with your hands.  If it seems too loose, add a tablespoon of dried bread crumbs.  You may have to do this once more to get the mixture to form patties that just barely hold together but aren’t too stiff.  Melt at least 2 tablespoons of butter in the sauté pan you used for the vegetables, and brown the patties on both sides.  You can keep them warm in the oven for a half hour or so, but they’re better served right away.