Tag Archives: chickpea hash

Behind the Scenes – Think Outside the Can

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In case you’ve been on another planet, I launched my video, Think Outside the Can, to critical acclaim and adulation. Thanks again to everybody who viewed it and drove the views into the hash-o-sphere! What you may not know is that the real star of the video, besides Nitya’s amazing drawings and Karl’s epic video skills, was the Wild Salmon Hash from Mother’s Bistro. Let’s take a look behind the scenes…

Mother's Bistro Wild Salmon Hash is the star!

I arrived at the studio to find Karl and Nitya setting up the shot and simulating how the hash would magically disappear. My job was to plate the hash and make it irresistible, which was simple – plate the hash and sprinkle chives around – voilà! (For those who’ve had the pleasure to dine at Mother’s Bistro, you know what I mean – enticing, luscious fare!)

Karl and Nitya setting up the scene.

Ever curious, I poked around the studio to find Nitya’s drawings that had already been captured on camera and photos of yours truly. Over a year ago, I submitted this photo to The Oregonian for a twitter recipe contest, which was a salmon hash – good karma for the video!

Storyboard - hash + escapade = hashcapade!

Karl motioned to me to check out the monitor as the action began. Nitya methodically scooped up forkfuls of hash, lifted them up to the camera and then transferred them off-screen to an empty plate. As the action unfolded, my stomach started to growl uncontrollably. I broke out in a sweat. And, well, I must confess…I ate the star!

Disappearing hash...where did it go?

Content, I was then treated to a sneak peek of the scene from Karl’s camera. I watched the fast-motion version of what I had just witnessed. (No, not me pigging out; Nitya’s expert handling of the star!) I knew right then and there that our video was going to be a hit!

Think Outside the Can - directors cut!

And so, without further ado, I would like to present the entire version of Think Outside the Can, uncut and raw. What scenes do you notice that are different from the official version?   Can you spot the tweet from Steve Inskeep after his hashcapade at Mother’s Bistro?

Thanks again to Karl, Nitya, Mary and Mother’s Bistro – you rock!

Happy Hashcapades,
Clark

Think Outside the Can Video

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What do most people think about when they think about potato hash? Corned beef hash. But hash is so much more than that! Following my post on the topic, I collaborated with the talented Nitya Wakhlu of Nitya Wakhlu Innovations, LLC and Karl Lind of In The Can, LLC to produce “Think Outside the Can“. Special thanks to the fabulously Über ÜberMary, a.k.a. Mary Rarick. Here’s to World Hash Domination! Happy Hashcapades! Clark

Think Outside the Can - do it!

 

Harissa Lamb, Cucumber, Carrot and Chickpea Hash

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Fresh on the heels of an Indian and Oaxacan hashcapade, it only seems fitting that the equally exotic cuisine of North Africa – Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco – be my next target. And, just as India has curry and Oaxaca has mole, North Africa boasts a signature ingredient, harissa. Put another way, harissa is to North Africa as salsa is to Mexico. Its pepper, garlic, coriander, chili powder and other spices amp up any dish considerably.

Layered Harissa Lamb, Carrot, Cucumber and Chickpea Hash

My starting point was going to involve harissa, potato, chicken and okra, but as I looked at different recipes, it became clear that I had to go with lamb and ditch the okra in favor of chickpeas. I also thought the food ring needed a different treatment, but what?

Lots of veggies await this North African-inspired hash
OK – this will be a bit of a tangent. I absolutely loved There Will be Blood!. Have you seen it? Well, I saw it again while celebrating Easter in Wyoming. Daniel Day Lewis is amazing in his role as a manic, independent, hard-driving oilman. Besides cunning ruthlessness, the art of oil discovery and production is in the geology – understanding the strata or layers surrounding a reservoir. Wait…layers?…eureka! Yes, a layered, food ring-based hash! (And you thought I was going to talk about milkshakes!)
Chickpeas, red onion, garlic and ginger await roasting.
Lamb loin chops – like little lamb T-bones!

Anyway, with the layer concept established, I set about grilling lamb loin chops, which the butcher characterized as little lamb T-bones. Secretly, his apt description made me giggle when I threw them on the grill – soooo tiny and cute! Next steps were roasting the chickpeas, making a shredded carrot, feta and mint salad with harissa and mixing some diced cucumbers with Greek yogurt. For the plating sauce, I used harissa and the Greek yogurt – naturally!

Harissa carrot feta and mint salad
Macro shot of Layered Harrisa Lamb Hash

This hashcapade was wicked tasty, full of exotic flavors, thanks to the harissa. Succulent lamb, crunchy cucumbers and carrots paired with the roasted chickpeas created a fabulous texture. I couldn’t stop eating and literally inhaling the hash! Contemplating the cornucopia of veggies, it occurred to me that you could leave off the lamb and still walk away with a food coma! Oh, and don’t forget your milkshake!

Happy Hashcapades,
Clark
Layered Harissa Lamb, Cucumber, Carott and Chickpea Hash
Before you go ga-ga over the harissa, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and get the grill going!
Roasted Chickpeas
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped 
> Mix all of the above in a small baking dish and roast at 425 for 15 minutes, remove, stir and set aside.
Lamb Loin Chops
3 lamb loin chops (other favorite cuts will work to), about 6 oz net
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
> Rub garlic and ginger on both sides of the three chops, then grind fresh salt and pepper
> Grill for about 6 minutes a side, medium rare for 1 1/4 inch chops
> Wait until plating to cut the lamb to maximize the juicy flavor
Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp harissa (Whole Foods is my source)
1 tsp sugar
juice from 1/2 a small to medium lemon 
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese
> Mix all the above in a bowl, check for taste – if too acidic, add more sugar; if not enough heat, add more harissa, Set aside for plating

Cucumber & Yogurt
1/2  cup english cucumber, 1/4 inch dice
1 Tbsp Greek yogurt
> Mix in small ramekin and set aside until plating

Plating
2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tsp harissa
1-2 small mint leaves
> Mix above and spoon almost all on the plate in a circle bigger that the food ring
> Using a 4″ diameter, 2″ high food ring, carefully pack one layer of the chickpeas, then an equal thickness of carrot, then an equal layer of cucumber.
> Slice the lamb into 1 inch by 1 1/2 inch rectangles and overlap in a circle, filling the middle with the rest
> Spoon the rest of the harissa/yogurt plating sauce, top with a scant spoon of harissa and garnish with mint

NOTE: Makes 1 serving with my 2 inch high, 4 inch diameter food ring. You will have leftover carrot salad and chickpeas – combine for a leftover salad snack!