Hash Browns
Apart from maybe croquettes and gnocchi, hash browns are my favorite way to enjoy potatoes. The contrast in texture between the golden, crispy exterior and the softer interior, as well as the buttery taste are incredible. Making hash browns is a pretty labor intensive process, and there are still many things I can improve with my technique, but the end result was still amazing.
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 30 min
Ingredients
> Potatoes
> Butter, oil
> Salt, pepper, paprika
Instructions
1. Peel and grate potatoes. Place the grated potatoes into a large bowl of cold water.
2. Using your hands, stir the potatoes in the cold water. Drain, and cover potatoes again in cold water. Repeat this process several times, until the resulting water is not starchy or murky.
3. Drain potatoes well. Using your hands, squeeze and moisture out of the potatoes little by little. Place the potatoes on a dry towel, and pat dry with a paper towel.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add a little bit of oil and melt around 1.5 tbsp of butter. Place shredded potatoes into the hot butter/oil. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Press down the potatoes into the skillet with a wooden spatula.
5. Cook for around 5-7 minutes, or until a brown crust forms on the bottom. Invert the hash browns onto a plate. Add about 1.5 tbsp more butter, melt it down, and add the hash brown back into the skillet.
6. Cook for another 5 minutes or so. Season the other side with salt, pepper, and paprika.
7. Slide the hash browns out onto a plate. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> I typically use around a 9-inch cast iron pan. For that size, I've found that 2 medium-sized potatoes works best.
> This depends on your grater, but I used the thickest setting that gives slivers. You don't want the hash browns to be too thin.
> Do not skimp out on steps 2 and 3. Step 2 washes off excess starch on the surface of the potatoes, and step 3 removes as much moisture as possible. Dry potatoes are a necessity to achieve the crispy crust characteristic of hash browns.
> Inverting the hash browns can be tricky. I recommend using a plate just wider than the skillet, placing it on top of the skillet upside down, and quickly inverting it in mid-air so that the plate ends up on the bottom.
> This recipe will yield you a very solid, uniform hash brown, almost like a potato pancake. Many other recipes will yield a looser, more disorganized hash brown, but this is my preferred way to cook it.