I don't know if this is a true "hash" or not. From years of watching Chopped, people always seems to be criticized for calling something a hash when it isn't. The best I can find from a dictionary search is simply something cut up into small bits. I like this from the OED: "A mixture of mangled and incongruous fragments." Mmmm, yes, serve me some of that! 

I started out on this recipe wondering whether I could cook sweet potatoes the same way I do regular potatoes for crispy hash browns (a method Sophie taught me in her apartment during our first Sister Weekend). Let's just say the kitchen was a smokin hot mess. 

A few developments later, and I arrived at something much more stable, a sort of mid-way between a hash brown and a pancake. A hash-cake. Topped with a crispy fried egg, dollop of sour cream, dash of paprika, and a sprinkling of chives and bacon, it proves a wonderfully satisfying breakfast, lunch, or meatless dinner. 

Sweet Potato Hash-cakes with Bacon and Chives

makes 2 large single-serve hash-cakes, or 4 small. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sweet potato

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 4 oz (about 4 strips) bacon, diced

• 2 tablespoons diced chives

• freshly ground pepper

• 1 egg

• for serving: additional eggs crispy-fried, dollop of sour cream; garnish with a sprinkling of paprika and some reserved bacon and chives..

Instructions:

1. Wash, peel and grate the sweet potato (a food processor fitted with the shredding blade works wonderfully here). Lay a cloth napkin or thin dishtowel in a mixing bowl. Add the shredded sweet potato and kosher salt, stir, and let sit for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium low. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon.

3. Drain the sweet potato by picking up the edges of the cloth and twisting together tightly to squeeze the liquid out. Place drained sweet potato in a mixing bowl along with egg, pepper to taste, and bacon and chives (optional: reserve some bacon and chives for garnish). Stir to combine.

4. Increase the heat to medium. Place half of the sweet potato in the skillet and flatten slightly. Cook for a few minutes, until it begins to set and is golden brown on the underside. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side until brown. Repeat with remaining half of sweet potato mixture. (Or divide mixture in 1/4s to make four smaller hash-cakes.)

5. Serve topped with a crispy fried egg, sour cream, paprika, bacon and chives.