FROM THE FOUNDING TABLE TO YOUR KITCHEN
POTUSPLATETHE PRESIDENTIAL TABLEHISTORY IS SERVED.
Presidents/Theodore Roosevelt

AT THE TABLE WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Crispy skillet potato hash

Use a wide pan: crowded potatoes steam instead of crisping.

Breakfast35 minServes 4
Jump to recipe ↓
Crispy skillet potato hash — the black-and-white years
The black-and-white years · Serving illustration

THE STORY ON YOUR PLATE

Fried chicken and a substantial appetite

More about Theodore Roosevelt →

The twenty-sixth president is closely associated with conservation and an energetic public life.

Historical reconstruction

Potatoes fit the substantial breakfast and supper cooking around Roosevelt’s household. This hash is a reconstructed accompaniment: boil the potatoes first, then brown them in a roomy skillet.

The president & the table

National Park Service accounts describe Theodore Roosevelt’s enthusiasm for substantial food: bacon, eggs, fried chicken and plenty of coffee. A surviving letter even specifies how he wanted a soft-boiled egg served, in an egg cup. Food details could matter to him as much as quantities.

Behind this story

National Park Service research on Theodore Roosevelt’s food habits and egg letter.

APRON ON. HISTORY CAN WAIT.

Make it at home.

Our home adaptation · Serves 4 · Not yet kitchen-tested

What you’ll need

Let’s make it

  1. Simmer diced potatoes in water for 6–8 minutes until almost tender. Drain and let steam-dry for 3 minutes.

  2. Heat oil and butter in a wide skillet. Add potatoes in one layer and leave undisturbed for 4–5 minutes to brown.

  3. Turn, add onion and pepper, and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and potatoes are crisp.

  4. Season with paprika, salt, pepper and parsley.

About this home version

A modern home recipe with practical ingredients and measured quantities.

Metric and US measures are approximate equivalents. For baking, use weights when you can.

STAY FOR ANOTHER COURSE

More from this table.