THE CHEF FROM HELL

Let me set the scene for you---  The year was 1986.  The morning air was hot and humid.  Drums, organ, voices and handclaps filled the air.  A large heavy-set woman stood in front of me swaying to the music, a porkchop in one hand and a bible in the other.  There I was-- standing in the Gospel Tent at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival!  The Baby Snakes Gospel Quartet was onstage belting out another chorus of "I'm Gonna Have Breakfast With Jesus!"  The spirit of the Holy Ghost was working its way through the sweaty crowd as a revelation was delivered unto me-- "Hey, I should name a dish after these guys!"  Yes indeed.  Let's make some Baby Snakes Gospel Hash!

 Ingredients:

4 large Serrano Peppers, stems removed & chopped coarse

4 large canned Chipotle Peppers, chopped coarse

1 TBS Crushed Red Pepper

2 TBS unsalted Butter

1 cup Red Onion, diced fine

1/4 cup Scallions, diced fine

2 strips Hickory Smoked Bacon, chopped small

1/4 cup White Flour, sifted

2 cups Sweet Potatoes, peeled & diced

1 1/4 cups Tasso Ham, diced

Note:  If you can't get your hands on any Tasso, substitute some Cure 81 Ham!

1/2 cup Green Cabbage, diced

1/2 cup lager Beer, room temperature

Dry Spice Mix:

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Basil

1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Thyme

1/4 tsp Dry Mustard

1/4 tsp Ground White Pepper

Cooking Procedure:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the dry spice mix

Mix well & set aside

Place the serrano & chipotle peppers in a food processor

Process for 30 seconds

Set this pepper mash aside

In a large oven-proof skillet, melt the butter over high heat

Add the onion, scallions, bacon & dry spice mix

Cook this down until the onions begin to soften & the bacon begins to render its fat

Let this cook down for 3 minutes

Reduce your heat to medium

Stir well

Stir in the flour

Stir this as it cooks for 2 minutes

Add the pepper mash, sweet potatoes, tasso ham & cabbage

Stir well--make sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet to prevent scorching

Add the beer, stirring as you pour

Let this come up to a high simmer

Reduce heat to low & simmer the hash for 10 minutes

Remove from heat

Tightly cover the top of the skillet with aluminum foil

Place the skillet in the oven & bake the hash for 20 minutes

Remove the foil & serve individual portions topped with a fried egg