Hash brown potatos

Unknown

I'm seeking some advice of making hash brown potatos. Mine always turn out soggy and dull looking. Is there a trick to it, such as washing the shreded potatos before cooking. I just shred mine and put in fry pan with butter and salt. They do not turn out the way I would like them to. Any ideas? :(

gdenby

Get the butter good and hot, but not so hot tha it burns, about 325 F. A single shred of potatoe, or a fleck of water should "dance" on the butter when its hot enough. Then shred as fast as you can. Don't go to thick. 1/4" to 3/8". Salt, dot with butter, and cover pan. Check after a few minutes. The butter on top should be melted in. Use a spatula, and peek underneath. The bottom should be nicely brown. Flip, and leave top off the pan. If you like, add some paprika. When the edges a bit crispy, top with a little grated cheddar. When the cheddar melts, the hash browns should be ready, or real close to it.

You can use other oils that get hotter than butter before smoking. Ghee and goose fat work really well.

If you want to make a larger batch, the grated potatoes can be soaked in water, or sprinkled with lemon juice to keep them from going black. If in water, let them drain dry for a few minutes before cooking.

milesofsmiles

Have done pots for years in meat grease and always come out nice and brown and crispy. Then we started using crisco veggie oil. Guess what...white and soggy limp. So back to meat grease. No more problem. The grease cooks the moisture out of the pots and then they brown. Love them with onions. Slimmer and slobberens. Miles out

fishlessman

i cheat, boil the whole potatoe the day before, let it sit in the fridge overnight, smash it on the counter or in the palm of your hands, then fry it. works real well on camping trips. little new potatoes work best. other than mcdonalds and ihop, i have never seen hash without corned beef in it, for a special treat look up recipes for red flannel hash, you make it from leftovers from the st patty's day boiled dinner. no hash up here, we eat home fries

now why would i have taken a pic of that

Q-rious Tom

The best hash browns are from previously cooked potatoes -- usually boiled the previous day, then shredded just before cooking. I usually don't plan that far ahead :laugh: so I give them 3 minutes or so in the microwave before adding to the skillet (works with fresh shredded or frozen).

Then I put the oil down in the skillet (olive oil, peanut oil, butter, bacon grease [best!] or whatever) and put the hash browns on top of it. Spread in a thin layer and look for the edges to go crisp; flip. The other side won't take quite as long.

Tom