Sausage Breakfast Skillet Hash

Breakfast for us is usually simple: cereal, orange wedges, coffee. I usually make scrambled eggs once a week and there are occasionally more complicated weekend treats like omelets or pancakes.

Being snowed in as we were recently, I decided it was a good opportunity to make a special breakfast. Hence, this breakfast skillet hash, a classic combination of fried potatoes, sausage, eggs, cheese and vegetables. This is homestyle cooking at its simple best.

As a kid, my family would sometimes eat breakfast at The Village Inn, and their breakfast skillets were our favorite things to order. More recently, Chris and I ate delicious hash plates at 24 Diner in Austin, Texas. Whether you call it a skillet or hash--or skillet-hash--it's good stuff.

Since the potatoes are, by volume, the largest ingredient in the dish, it's important to get them right. They need to be firm but cooked through, browned and crispy on the edges. I used The Food Lab's recommended method of par-boiling the potatoes with vinegar, letting them drain awhile and then frying them for quite awhile until crispy. They turned out exactly as I wanted them too. The par-boiling helps cook the potatoes through, since the frying will mostly be about crisping up the edges. The bit of vinegar helps the potatoes keep their shape through all this. While frying them, I first stirred the potatoes to coat them in the oil, then smoothed them into an even layer, which I let cook for 5 minutes without being disturbed to help promote browning.

What you put in this dish besides potatoes is really up to you. Some kind of meat--sausage, bacon or ham--is good, but you could make this vegetarian too. I used Whole Foods mild Italian chicken sausage, since it's one of my favorites, half an onion and a red bell pepper. I topped the skillet with two scrambled eggs (I suggest one egg per person) and a good sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, which I melted under the oven broiler.

Sausage Breakfast Skillet Hash
Potato technique adapted from a recipe by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for The Food Lab, Serious Eats

Serves 2 really hungry guys or 4 normal portions

1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
2 quarts water
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
4-6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. mild Italian chicken sausage
1/2 yellow onion, diced
Red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dired oregano
2 to 4 large eggs, lightly beaten (use 1 egg per person)
1 to 2 tsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Add potatoes, water, vinegar and kosher salt to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander and allow them to sit in the colander for at least a couple minutes so as much water drains out as possible.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in a large (12-inch) frying pan over medium heat (note: if using pork sausage, it will render more fat, so I don't think you need this initial 1 tbsp. of oil). Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon, until cooked through. Transfer the sausage to a large bowl.

3. If needed, add another tbsp. of vegetable oil to the pan, increase heat to medium-high, then add the onion and bell pepper. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme and oregano, and cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Return the sausage to the pan and continue cooking the mixture until it gets a little brown around the edges. Remove from the pan and transfer back to the large bowl.

4. Add the remaining 4 tbsp. (i.e. 1/4 cup) vegetable oil to the pan. When hot, add the potatoes and cook until browned and crisp around the edges, about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

5. While the potatoes cook, scramble the eggs: heat 1 to 2 tsp. butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook, stirring frequently, until set. Remove from the pan and set aside on a small plate.

6. Preheat oven broiler. Once the potatoes are cooked, turn the heat off under the pan and stir in the cooked sausage, onion and pepper. Add the scrambled eggs on top, then cover the whole thing with shredded cheddar cheese. Place under the oven broiler to melt the cheese, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Serve from the pan.

Buttery Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes seem like something that should be easy to get right. After all, they are just potatoes, butter, milk and salt, with optional additional flavorings like herbs, garlic, cheese and spices tossed in as desired.

But like many foods, potatoes are more complex when you take a closer look. The inside of a potato is basically a lot of little sacs containing starch. Many, but not all of these will swell and burst while the potatoes are cooked, which contributes to mashed potatoes' fluffy texture.

Breaking too many of those sacs releases too much starch, making the mashed potatoes "gluey" rather than fluffy. This is why it's a no-no to use electric devices like a hand mixer, food processor or blender to mash or "whip" potatoes, especially if you're making mashed potatoes with russet potatoes, which are higher in starch than other potatoes. You want the gentler processing achieved by hand tools like a potato masher or, my preference, a ricer, which looks like an oversize garlic press.

The other trick is to add the butter before the milk, as adding the fat first coats the starch and makes for better texture (or so Cook's Illustrated recommends, and they are usually right). This recipe is from adapted from BonAppétit, applying these key principles for making optimally delicious mashed potatoes.

Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Adapted from a recipe by Bon Appétit

4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more
1½ cups whole milk
3 sprigs thyme (optional)
2 bay leaves
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for serving

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by about an inch. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are very tender but not saturated or crumbly, about 20–25 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes and return the potatoes to the pot and set it over low heat. Gently stir until the potatoes are dry, about 1 minute.

3. Heat milk and herbs in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture is warm (do not let it boil). Remove from heat.

4. Pass the hot potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl (if allowed to cool, the potatoes will become gummy). Add butter and stir with a wooden spoon to combine with the potatoes.

5. Remove herbs from the warm milk mixture and discard. Gradually add milk mixture to potatoes, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined and smooth; season with salt.

6. Serve mashed potatoes with a few pats of butter on top.

Sweet Potatoes with Mole and Queso Fresco

Yes, there are three chiles in this recipe, but they are relatively mild, making this a wonderfully spicy but not hot Mexican-inspired side for Thanksgiving. Yet another example of how sweet potatoes work wonderfully in a savory preparation.

The mole sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge, which I would definitely recommend doing if you want to make this for Thanksgiving. Mole has a lot of ingredients, but it's not complicated.

Sweet Potatoes with Mole and Queso Fresco
Mole sauce adapted from multiple recipes, including Braised Chicken with Oaxacan Chocolate Mole Sauce, Food & Wine

2 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 guajillo chile, stems and seeds removed
3 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup almonds
3 tbsp. golden raisins
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 star anise pod
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
2 cloves
12 black peppercorns
One cinnamon stick
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, smashed
6 oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 cups water
1 cup crumbled queso fresco

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Soak the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes while preparing other ingredients.

3. Combine the cubed sweet potatoes, olive oil and salt in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft and very lightly browned.

4. In a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sesame seeds, star anise, cumin, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick. Toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a spice grinder and allow it to cool then grind the seeds and spices to a fine powder.

5. Return the 4-quart saucepan to the stove, add the vegetable oil and increase heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the almonds, raisins and pumpkin seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the ground spice mixture, tomato paste and bittersweet chocolate, then add the chiles and water and stir until the ingredients are well combined. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then puree the mixture using an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and puree in batches. Transfer mole sauce to a container and store in the fridge until ready to use (reheat in the microwave as needed). Makes about 3 to 4 cups.

6. In a large bowl combine the roasted sweet potatoes with about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of mole sauce and stir to combine. Top with crumbled queso fresco and serve immediately.

Related

Thanksgiving Central

Manhattan "Chowder" Salad

As a kid, I loved clam chowder, and it's still one of my favorites. It's a wonderfully creamy soup flavored with the briny clams, butter and (in the best versions) a little smoky bacon. But I'll never forget the time I ordered Manhattan clam chowder, not knowing it was something different altogether.

"What is this?" I'm sure I asked my mom.

What I think of as clam chowder is the New England variety, which is also popular on the West Coast: a creamy broth with onion and other vegetables, potato, clams and (if you make it right) bacon. Did I mention it's supposed to have bacon in it? My mom's version was so bacon-y, we called it her "bacon chowder."

And Manhattan clam chowder is not these things. It has a thinner, tomato-based broth instead of a thick, creamy base. Frankly, it's just not as good, despite the fact that it's composed of so many things I love: onions, celery, potatoes and tomatoes (plus clams, which I don't "love," but are good when used right).

With this in mind, I decided to take the parts I like about Manhattan clam chowder and re-fashion them as a salad. I kept the onion and celery, but included them raw. I fried the potatoes into cubes, which makes them a bit like croutons. Instead of tomato broth, I used raw beefsteak tomatoes. And I replaced the clams with salmon, which is much more flavorful for a salad. A garlicky white-wine vinaigrette pulls the whole thing together.

Manhattan "Chowder" Salad

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6-7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 oz. salmon fillet
2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces (may use other tomatoes, you want about 2 cups)
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/8-thick pieces on a sharp angle
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into strips with a julienne peeler or shredded
1/2 small red onion, cut into thin slivers
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. aleppo pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, very finely minced or pounded into a paste
1 1/2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1. Fill a medium with 1 1/2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add the potato cubes and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Immediately drain the potatoes and set aside in the colander for 5 minutes.

2. Heat 2 to 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet (use enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, then stir the potatoes occasionally until they are browned and crisp on all sides, about 10-12 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate.

3. Preheat oven broiler. Brush a foil-lined baking sheet with olive oil. Place the salmon fillet skin-side down on the baking sheet and brush the salmon with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt (if you have it, smoked sea salt is great here) and pepper and broil about 5 inches from the broiler for about 5 minutes. Turn the fish over and broil about another 5 minutes until the salmon is cooked through. Remove and discard the skin and any gray layer. Transfer the salmon to a cutting board and flake with a fork into bite-size pieces.

4. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, celery, onion, thyme, parsley, aleppo pepper flakes and salmon. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar and 3 tbsp. of olive oil. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Divide the salad into shallow bowls and top each with a handful of fried potato cubes.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Often when I hit my neighborhood farmers market on Saturday morning, I have a plan for what I want to get and what I'll make with it during the following week. On a recent Saturday, however, I was struggling. I couldn't decide what I wanted to make! So, I set out for the New Morning Farm Saturday market at Sheridan School with the hope that the ingredients I found there would inspire my direction.

Sure enough, after picking up corn, a sweet onion, a couple carrots and a good handful of green beans, I decided to make Shepherd's Pie, the classic Irish dish of diced or ground meat, vegetables and gravy sealed with a layer of mashed potatoes and baked until the potatoes brown a bit on top. According to The Food Lover's Companion, the dish originated as a way to use leftovers from the "Sunday roast." I think it can be just as useful as a showcase for summer vegetables.

I used Alton Brown's recipe as a template for this Shepherd's Pie, but made some key changes. I used ground turkey instead of ground lamb, upped the ratio of vegetables-to-meat in the filling by adding corn, celery and green beans and omitted the egg from the potato topping, as it just didn't seem needed. This makes my version a little lighter and more "summery" than Brown's recipe.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie
Adapted liberally from Shepherd's Pie by Alton Brown for Food Network

1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup half-n-half
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. ground turkey (dark meat recommended)
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Corn kernels cut from 1 ear of corn

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with 1-inch of water. Place on the stove and bring to boil. Cook the potatoes until tender, then drain. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Add the butter and mash the potatoes with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon. Warm the half-n-half in the microwave and stir it into the potatoes along with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

3. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and green beans and sauté until the ingredients have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Add ground turkey to the pan and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Sprinkle the meat with the flour, toss to coat and cook for another minute. Add back the cooked vegetables, then add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 10 minutes to thicken the gravy. Stir in the corn and turn off the heat.

4. Transfer vegetable-gravy mixture to a 9 X 9 glass baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top, making sure to "seal" the potatoes against the edge of the baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula. Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until the potatoes begin to brown, about 25-30. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Of the herbs I raised last year, the chives were the only plant that survived the winter. I replanted them in their own pot, where they appear to be doing rather well. Soon I will plant the other herbs for the season.

But for now I have chives, so I made some mashed potatoes, a perfect dish to highlight them in. Instead of using milk, I went with the richer, tangy flavor of sour cream. Sour cream and chives...perfect.

Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes

3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into quarters
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, 2 tbsp. melted
Salt, to taste
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes and cook until a fork easily pierces them, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl to cool slightly.

2. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl (alternatively, add them to the bowl and mash with a potato masher). Add the 2 tbsp. of melted butter and stir to combine, then add the sour cream, salt and 3 tbsp. of the chives. Stir until evenly combined. Reheat in the microwave. Top with the final tablespoon of butter and a sprinkle of chives.

Punchier Potato-Leek Soup: Enhancing a Classic with More Flavor

Soon spring produce will be arriving, and I'll be switching my focus to all those wonderful fresh flavors. I'm starting to see asparagus at the grocery store, but for now, we're still mostly looking at winter vegetables.

So it's a good time for one last hearty winter soup, and potato-leek soup seems perfect. It feels like a good soup for transitioning into spring: vegetable focused and not as heavy as many other winter soups.

Yet, when I made a batch of it recently, I was disappointed. I found it too lacking in flavor. Leeks are like onions but milder and potatoes are...potatoes. They are always mild. A little bay leaf, salt and pepper just wasn't enough to satisfy my craving for bolder flavors. Was it possible to create a potato-leek soup with a little more punch but without overwhelming these two key ingredients.

I threw the question out during a recent Washington Post Free Range on Food Chat and got a lot of great responses, such as adding herbs or other spices (a no-brainer), other vegetables (like watercress or mushrooms), curry powder (a great idea I'd like to try sometime) and ham or chicken. The last suggestion got me thinking about using bacon, which goes well with just about anything, but it always a welcome partner for potatoes and onion. I figured it would work nicely in this soup.

I learned the best way to prep leeks from New York Times writer Melissa Clark. First cut off the dark green part, then slice the leek in half through the root (don't cut the root off yet). Then clean the leeks under running water, separating the layers with your hands as needed. Because the root is still intact, the layers hold together, making the leek easier to clean. Shake off the water, then slice the leeks.

For maximum bacon flavor, I used Benton's hickory-smoked bacon, which I've mentioned before is my favorite. I only needed 1/3 of a pound (4 or 5 strips) to add some nice smoky and meaty undertones. Although I pureed the soup for a smooth texture, I kept the bacon out of the soup for that step, as I wanted it in larger pieces. A search for potato-leek soup recipes with bacon led me to a great one by Food Network Kitchen, aspects of which I used as the template for the recipe below.

But bacon alone wasn't enough. I wanted some tang, so I was intrigued by J. Kenji López-Alt's Serious Eats recipe, which calls for adding buttermilk in addition to cream. Most buttermilk I see at the grocery store is reduced-fat, but Whole Foods has whole cultured buttermilk. I decided to use a little bit more of that than López-Alt's recipe called for and skip the cream. For spice, I used freshly ground white pepper and just a little bit of chipotle pepper hot sauce, which added some additional smokiness.

This soup was exactly what I was looking for. It was still clearly potato-leek soup but with a more complex flavor rounded out with smoke, tang and spice.

Punchier Potato-Leek Soup
Elements adapted from recipes by Food Network Kitchen and J. Kenji López-Alt for Serious Eats

1/3 lb. hickory-smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large leeks, cleaned and white and green parts sliced into 1/4-inch strips
2 russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup water
1 dried bay leaf
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 1/4 cup whole cultured buttermilk
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp. Tabasco chipotle hot sauce (optional)
Freshly snipped chives

1. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain off excess bacon fat, leaving about 1 tbsp. in the pot.

2. Add butter to pot and, when melted, add the garlic and leeks. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the potato, chicken stock, water and bay leaf and season with salt and white pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. Stir in the cooked bacon, buttermilk, nutmeg and (if desired) the hot sauce. Serve in bowls topped with a generous sprinkle of fresh chives.

Bourbon Chicken: An Ode to '90s Mall Food Courts

The mall food court wasn't invented in the '90s--the first successful one opened in a New Jersey mall in the mid '70s--but, at least in Portland, the 90s was when they proliferated. Washington Square, the mall closest to my home, got its first food court during a mid-'90s renovation, but the first mall food court I remember visiting was in Pioneer Place, Portland's downtown shopping mall that opened in 1990.

Food courts were the ideal place for a teenager to get a snack. If you were too low on cash to actually buy something, there were plenty of free samples, many of which were little tastes on a toothpick. Pioneer Place's food court was ideal for snacking: it's round shape meant you could do laps picking up samples as you went (of course, I never got more than one sample, I swear).

I've mentioned The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins before, but in a week where I'm featuring foods from the '90s it bears mentioning again, as it was published in 1989 and was an important source of inspiration when I was first learning to cook in the '90s. Browsing through it this week, I stumbled upon their recipe for Bourbon Turkey, which struck me as a more refined and certainly better tasting version than what you or I may remember for the mall food court.

I adapted their recipe for boneless-skinless chicken thighs, which cook in less time than bone-in turkey parts, allowing me to reduce the roasting time. As marinated roast chicken goes, this one is pretty simple. The most complicated part is probably draining off the marinade--which converts to braising liquid--so that the glaze can go on the chicken. I did it using a turkey baster, dumping the braising liquid into a glass measuring cup.

I served the chicken with simple rosemary roasted red potatoes (recipe below) and broiled asparagus. It was delicious. Definitely better than what I remember getting from the food court so many years ago.


Bourbon Chicken
Adapted from Bourbon Turkey recipe, The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins

2 lb. boneless-skinless chicken thighs

Marinade:
1/3 cup dry red wine (I used petite sirah)
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tbsp. low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 whole star anise
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Glaze:
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. brown sugar

1. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Stir together the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken thighs. Toss to coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 325 F with the oven rack about 9 inches below the oven broiler (you'll be using it later--place the rack in the middle of the oven if your broiler is separate).

3. Stir together the glaze ingredients.

4. Transfer the chicken thighs to a 9 X 13 baking dish, arranged in a single layer. Pour about half of the marinade around the chicken. Roast for about 40-50 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through--a thermometer should read about 150 F. Remove roasting pan from the oven and drain off any remaining marinade.

5. Turn on the oven broiler. Brush the chicken with about half of the glaze. Place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 5 minutes until the glaze has dried out (be careful not to burn it). Turn the chicken over and brush the other side with the remaining glaze. Broil for another 5 minutes. Check the chicken's internal temperature (it should be at least 165 F now). Remove from the oven and serve with any extra glaze from the pan spooned over it.

Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes

5-6 medium size red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Combine the cut up potatoes, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt in a large bowl, tossing with a wooden spoon to evenly coat the potatoes. Spread potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until lightly browned around the edges, about 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.