Crispy Homemade Hashbrown Potatoes

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Chief Longwind Of The North

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Most people use russets to make their hash browns, and they work great. I prefer the flavor of Yukon Gold potatoes.

But they're waxy, and your hash browns will come out like glue.; is the normal response,

This is true, if you don't prep them carefully. It's also true of russet, white, or red rose, any kind of potato. Really good has browns require a bit of work but are delicious. I made them for the grandkids today. It was hard because I can't eat potatoes, and they looked, and smelled great. Here's the secret to great, crispy, well flavored potatoes; remove the starch, and water.

First, peel and wash them. Grate them on the coarse side of your box grater into a large bowl. Fill the bowl 3/4 full of water, and massage the shredded potato for about 30 seconds. Drain. Repeat the washing 2 to 3 times, until the water is clear after messaging the potato shreds. You have now removed most of the starch, the component that creates that pasty texture.

Pour the potatoes and water into a wire mesh strainer. give the a final rinse nder cold, running water. Let drain for 5 minutes. Dump the spuds back into the empty, dry bowl, and squeeze fist-fulls to get rid of more water. Por water out. Repeat. Water will both cause spatters with the hot oil, and prevent the potato from crisping.

Add a half tsp. of salt to the potatoes, both to season them, and to draw out more water. Finally, use a paper towel, or three to absorb as much liquids from the potatoes as is possible. Heat 2 tbs. cooking oil in an even heating skillet, over medium-high heat. When hot, lace 3 heaping tbsp., of potato into your pan, flattening to a 14" thickness, and shaping round, Fry without touching until you can see the sides just starting to brown (about 2 minutes). Flip and brown the other side. Flip one more time, and cook for 1 minute more.

Serve with bacon, sausage, or corned beef hash, and a fried egg. Condiments are your choice.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
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Sounds good Chief. I'm guessing that "flattening to a 14" thickness" is a typo and it should be 1/4" thickness.
 
BTW, apparently you can save the starchy water from washing the potatoes. The starch will settle to the bottom and you pour off the clear liquid and you can use the potato starch for thickening gravies, etc.,
 
A low-fat method. Thin-skinned potatoes (Yukon Gold) don't need to be peeled. Grate coarsely or shred on a mandoline. Steam in a basket until tender. Let drain and dry. Spray a sheet pan with oil and spread the potatoes, then give them a spray of oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

Roast at 425°F until browned. Turn if necessary. Serve hot.
 
Thanks Chief..Now I don't have to go to Waffle House.
Seriously I have never been able to get the water out before
which seems to be very important.
 
A low-fat method. Thin-skinned potatoes (Yukon Gold) don't need to be peeled. Grate coarsely or shred on a mandoline. Steam in a basket until tender. Let drain and dry. Spray a sheet pan with oil and spread the potatoes, then give them a spray of oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

Roast at 425°F until browned. Turn if necessary. Serve hot.

Your method is especially useful if cooking for a crowd, as the potatoes can be spred in half sheet pans. This allows you to make a lot of hash browns.
It works for corned beef hash as well.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I usually pan-fry diced potatoes, onions, and peppers, but when hankering for hash browns, using a dishcloth to wring out whole raw grated russets is good enough for me.
 
I LOVE hash browns and over the years have tried a number of methods. Frankly, now I buy dehydrated shredded potatoes and rehydrate them, rinsing a time or two just before cooking. The texture is better and they crisp up nicely without using a lot of fat.
 
Hash browns are a breakfast food for me though I know they needn't be limited to breakfast. I decided some time ago that I don't care to spend the time to make hash browns in the morning.

Here's what I do. Defrost some frozen Tater Tots in the microwave, Mash them into a hot CI skillet with melted butter, brown until nice and crispy, flip and repeat. Viola!
 
Hash browns are a breakfast food for me though I know they needn't be limited to breakfast. I decided some time ago that I don't care to spend the time to make hash browns in the morning.

Here's what I do. Defrost some frozen Tater Tots in the microwave, Mash them into a hot CI skillet with melted butter, brown until nice and crispy, flip and repeat. Viola!
+1, although we like cubed potatoes for hash browns, so we get these. We often add sautéed onions and bell peppers to them, too.
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Around here, fried up cubed potatoes are called home fries. When the potatoes have been shredded before frying, then they are called hash browns.
 
The salting, soaking, and draining, followed by a squeeze in a dishtowel, is part of the drill for making latkes, a traditional holiday dish: kosher hashbrowns. They are often accompanied by applesauce.

latkeb.jpg


The old-time method is to fry them in schmaltz: chicken fat. I keep a wee tub of schmaltz in the freezer, just in case I get the urge.
 
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Around here, fried up cubed potatoes are called home fries. When the potatoes have been shredded before frying, then they are called hash browns.

And when you cut the potatoes into rounds, and fry them in butter, or bacon fat, we called it American fries, great with perch fillets and catsup in fish sandwiches while camping, and fishing.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 

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