Mark Birley's Corned Beef Hash

In America, 'corned beef' is pickled in brine, highly seasoned, and can be found in delis and specialist shops. The British variety, as eaten by the troops during the Boer War, comes in a tin with an endearing key you somehow have to turn to get the stuff out. Both versions make a "Corned Beef Hash", which is a surprisingly delicious breakfast or supper dish, and with the addition of mustard and Worcester Sauce, smooth and rich too. I've adapted this version from the one used by Mark Birley, the urbane owner of Annabel's, which has been recently posted on the net.

First you need to gently saute some finely chopped onions in olive oil. Steam a potato or two for about 20 minutes. Take of their skins and chop into small cubes. Now fry these in the olive oil with a tiny sprinkling of rock salt, so that the potatoes start to get crispy and slightly brown. In a mixing bowl, chop up the refrigerated corned beef into small cubes. Refrigerating the corned beef will make it less likely to crumble. Add English mustard, Lea & Perrins, pepper and chopped parsley. Now tip this into the pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring now and again, but try if possible to keep the ingredients separate. Serve with a poached egg on top.