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1
Place the ham in a pot with the bay leaf and peppercorns.
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2
Cover with water and simmer for about 1 hour, until the ham is fork-tender (see Know-how, page 172).
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3
Add the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes more, until the potatoes are just beginning to get tender.
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4
Strain the ham and potatoes from the pot, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid, removing and discarding the bay leaf, and set aside.
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5
Using two forks, shred the ham into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
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6
Add the potatoes, hominy, and onion.
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7
Stir in the reserved cooking liquid and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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8
(Country ham is salty, so be sure to taste before adding any extra salt.)
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9
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
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10
Add the ham-potato mixture and spread into a flat cake.
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11
Cover with a splatter screen or lid and cook until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes.
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12
Flip and re-form the cake.
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13
Cover and cook, adding a little more oil if needed, until crispy on the other side.
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14
Remove from the heat and cover.
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15
Fill a large skillet with water about 2 inches deep and bring to a boil.
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16
Add the vinegar and salt and reduce the heat to a simmer.
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17
Add the eggs one at a time and poach for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites set and a thin, translucent film forms over the yolks (see Know-how, page 86).
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18
Use a slotted spoon to gently transfer the eggs to a paper towellined platter to drain.
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19
Divide the hash evenly between individual serving plates, place 1 or 2 eggs on top of each, and serve hot.
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20
For a more rustic interpretation of this dish, make a hole in the hash, crack the eggs in the hole, and cover to fry, rather than poach, to your liking.
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21
For a sweet-and-savory combination, substitute sweet potatoes for the russets, and for a crispy finish, scatter fried oysters on top.
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22
Or, make a cheesy variation by layering the hash mixture with Gruyere cheese in a skillet to form one large cake and saute until brown and crispy.
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23
Slide the cake out of the skillet and cut into 4 to 6 wedges, then assemble the dish as for the main recipe.
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24
Hominy is the name for corn kernels that have been hulled to remove the bran and germ.
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25
Lye hominy is hulled by soaking the corn kernels in a weak lye solutiona very traditional, centuries-old Native American methodand pearl hominy is hulled mechanically.
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26
It is then dried and either ground to make our beloved hominy grits or boiled whole to make what New Orleansians call big hominy.
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27
You can buy hominy canned, meaning precooked, or dried, in which case it will need to be presoaked and boiled in the same manner as dried beans.
