Chips come in seriously large portion sizes that can lead to waste. In research done by the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Just Eat, 25% of consumers said that, when they ordered a takeaway, more than half the time they had leftovers that would end up wasted. The most common reason for this was unintentionally ordering larger portions than was needed (43%), with chips being one of the most wasted foods.
To use up your excess chips, reheat them in a hot oven until piping hot right through and eat with your favourite condiment. Or make Canadian-style poutine by topping the reheated chips with curd cheese and gravy. They also make a great Spanish tortilla, saving the time needed to fry potatoes from scratch: simply refry the chips until hot right through, with or without caramelised onion, toss with beaten egg and cook on both sides.
Our current household favourite brunch is hash, which is a great way to absorb any scraps that you have in your fridge, including both leftover meat and vegetables. It turns them into a miraculous, waste-saving, one-pot wonder.
Chip and chorizo hash
This is one to make the day after you’ve ordered too many chips. It’s particularly yummy becauze the chorizo oil coats the potatoes with its delicious, salty, umami flavour. However, if you prefer, use any other meat or purely just vegetable leftovers. I do recommend you finish the dish with a crispy fried egg or vegan equivalent, such as fried tofu. The trick with a good hash is to cook the ingredients until they start to caramelise and char, stirring only when it’s really necessary, so you don’t end up with mashed potatoes. This recipe is infinitely adaptable, so be creative and use up what you have.
Serves 1
2 tbsp olive oil
100g chorizo (vegetarian or meat sausage or other leftover shredded meat)
60g red or white onion, peeled and sliced
200g leftover vegetables (eg chard, pumpkin, peppers)
300g leftover chips
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
4 large sprigs coriander
2 eggs, optional
Put the oil in a large skillet or frying pan over a medium heat, add the chorizo (and the sliced red onion, and cook for three minutes.
Add the leftover vegetables and cook for another three minutes. Roughly chop and add the cooked chips, smoked paprika and garlic. Season to taste, fry it all together, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, or until hot right through.
Serve garnished with coriander, including any finely chopped stalks, and top each serving with a fried egg, if you like.
