How do you make hashbrowns?

Botch · September 2017

My hashbrowns suck. I've looked for different recipes, experimented with every variable there is, can't find a technique/recipe that gives me what I want. Just yesterday morning I went to "The Rusted Spoon" to meet with some photographers, but they actually met on Wednesday so I just ate by myself. The hashbrowns were fantastic; creamy on the inside, perfect golden tasty crust top & bottom, just perfect.
Any hints for me? Here's some details I've explored, but still can't pull it all together:

1 - What kind of potato? red, russett, Yukon Gold, other?
2 - Do you soak them? How long? Add salt/other to the water? How do you drain them? Soak overnight?
3 - What kind of oil? I've tried peanut, Crisco, butter, ghee, bacon grease. How much?
4 - How hot? How big a pan (ie how thick are the potatoes in the pan)? Do you cover them?
5 - Do you stir them at all, or flip them once? I've had excellent hashbrowns done both ways, but not at home.
6 - Any seasoning besides salt? (I have found that a very light sprinkle of cumin is excellent on hashbrowns)

Thanks in advance for any help! (wonder if The Rusted Spoon is open on Sundays....?)

northGAcock · September 2017

I purchase the shredded ones in the egg section. They are shelf stable, so lord knows what is in them. That said, I cook over hot cast iron or on the Blackstone. I use olive oil (of the cooking variety). You just want a small skim over the surface. Put your HB on about 3/4 inch thick. I usually add a healthy amount of diced onions....as that is my preference.....salt and pepper. Keep an eye on them and when they crisp nicely, give them a flip. It is ok to break it up if in a skillet to get them turned. Crisp that side and turn off heat. Eat or let stand a bit as they will stay warm for a bit.

If preparing with a real tater, a good Ideho potatoe is my preference. Shreadeing for me is risky as that mandolin scares me to death.....especially if I am having a Bloody Mary.

Hash browns are one of my favorite...and prefer over fries when the meal calls for it. Burgers, steaks, Sloppy Joe.....you get the picture.

Legume · September 2017

I haven't made them from scratch in a long time, but always used russets (never really tried anything else), shredded on a box grater, salted, spread on paper towels to weep and dry out a bit and then as @northGAcock describes, little oil, 3/4" thick, onions, etc. I think I've generally kind of forward seared them, get a hard sear and then back off the heat to let them cook through, flip, repeat.

Legume · September 2017

But I've also used frozen ones just as much as scratch.

Battleborn · September 2017

If you are doing fresh, moisture is the enemy. I shred them using a cheese grater and then put it in a cheese clothe and get as much moisture out. The rest of it is pretty much as @northGAcock has said.

Carolina Q · September 2017

Only made them once. Tasted good, but not worth the bother. I didn't add the cheese, just potatoes with s&p. I think one of the keys is, once you put them in the pan, don't mess with them until it's time to flip. The other is ringing out the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZsN_2IOtl8

Gym · September 2017

I will be watching this thread...I too am in search of the perfect hash brown!

gdenby · September 2017

Hey, Botch,

I'll assume the "Rusted Spoon" is using food service potatoes, pre-processed. From what I understand, industrial hash browns can have been subjected to ultrasound, to breakdown the starch cells, and make the potato bits slightly more broken up. Thus creamy interior, and easier to crisp on the outside. And then they may be sprayed w. a corn derived starch that can only get crisp. Very hard to replicate at home.

But here's what I do, aiming for crispness, not so much creaminess. Pretty much what I saw my Mom doing when I was a kid.

Use a box grater on uncooked Russets. Toss into a colander, rinse, shake, sprinkle on a little salt. Wait, shake again.

Working w. bacon fat or duck fat is great, but I tend to go w. fridge cold butter. Reason why follows.

Put a couple of Tbls in the skillets, and let it get hot enough that all the moisture boils away. Drops of water should dance and disappear before putting the spud shreds in.

The amount of 'tatoes depends on how much heat the skillet can transfer. Cast iron always does better than an electric. Using my Presto electric, I can't go much over 1/4" to be sure for crisp. My Mom didn't use an electric, but an aluminum griddle over gas. Both that griddle and cast iron can handle a thicker layer of potatoes.

Put them in, mash them down. Add more pats of butter on top. Here's why butter is good. When the 'taters are hot enough on top to melt the butter, the bottom on butter will most likely be nice and brown. Fry with the lid off till the butter pats spread over the top melt. Half close the lid so some steam still escapes. Then open, and flip the biggest portions possible.

My preference is to not just add salt and pepper then, but also a thin layer of cheddar, and dashes of hot sauce.

Cook top off till cheese is almost melted, and lift the bottom. When the bottom is near dark brown, and/or there isn't any more sizzle from water bubbles, portion and serve.

Botch · September 2017

gdenby said:

Hey, Botch,

From what I understand, industrial hash browns can have been subjected to ultrasound, to breakdown the starch cells, and make the potato bits slightly more broken up. Thus creamy interior, and easier to crisp on the outside.

I'll try yelling at my potatoes first, next time I try; probably need the industrial model used at the US Embassy in Cuba.

Thanks for the hints, folks; I've got some new things to try.

nolaegghead · September 2017

I agree with everyone that said buy the same prepared hash browns that the restaurants (where we rave about the great hash browns) buy. Trying to duplicate what we perceive as the "perfect" hash brown takes a helluva lot of work.

Very similar to trying to duplicate McDonalds' fries from raw potatoes.

If you want to make fries or HBs from scratch just to prove you can do it, you have my respect, because that's the kind of challenge I like. But for a daily meal, it would be like buying wheat and grinding it into flour before we made our bread.

It would be worth the extra work if it were extra better, but it's not.

RRP · September 2017

I just watched a sure fire hash brown method yesterday. In a nut shell here's the recommendations: clarified butter, shredded russet, rinsed well and then dried with a clothe towel not paper, cast iron skillet, covered for 4 minutes medium heat, flip for 2 minutes.

tarheelmatt · September 2017

I've heard that Sam's Club now carries the dehydrated ones like used at the Waffle House. I don't have their membership to get any.

I've had decent success with frozen hash browns. However, I let them thaw overnight and have also popped in the microwave to help.

Using liberal amounts of oil and placing the hasbrown on the griddle and leaving them alone (which I feel is the best advice) helps tremendously.

Eggcelsior · September 2017

Use russet and rinse the shredded potato 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Then wring them out with a tea towel. Cook covered for a bit to cook off the inside after searing one side, then flip.

but yeah, f that noise. Just but prepackaged and season them as you prefer.

northGAcock · September 2017

tarheelmatt said:

I've heard that Sam's Club now carries the dehydrated ones like used at the Waffle House. I don't have their membership to get any.

I have tried them Matt.....not a big fan myself. Given a choice of the dehydrated and the ones in the egg section...., no reason to get a membership.

SciAggie · September 2017

I'll say first off I don't know about hash browns - but I have learned a lot from making pommes anna. I have trouble getting them to stay together; it seems a similar challenge with hash browns. I slowly figured out never to soak the potatoes and now I don't even rinse them. You WANT to retain the starch as a binder.
I would agree with the draining or squeezing with cheese cloth. Try not rinsing or soaking and see how that changes things.
As I said, I don't cook hash browns, but I thought this might add to the conversation. YMMV

TN_Sister_State · September 2017

We cook frozen Alexia ones for our daughter, I use about a tablespoon or two of butter in a cast iron and let the butter heat up with the pan and drop in about 3/4 thick round and flip once when it's crispy and easily releases from then pan. I literally flip once wait and plate once I think they are crispy enough. I tried from scratch a few times but wasn't worth the hassle. These you toss in frozen, they are pretty good too.

Carolina Q · September 2017

tarheelmatt said:

I've heard that Sam's Club now carries the dehydrated ones like used at the Waffle House. I don't have their membership to get any.

@tarheelmatt, You can buy from Sam's without a membership. Just stop at the courtesy desk and get a day pass. Cashier will add 10% service fee to the price.

DoubleEgger · September 2017

Waffle House uses just a little oil so that's what I do.

Ozzie_Isaac · September 2017

I microwave my shredded taters first. Then fry on blackstone with bacon grease.

1 minute in microwave really helps finished product.

SaltySam · September 2017

During a three day power outage back in June, we had to cook all of our thawing food. My wife took some nearly thawed tater tots and rough chopped them. I cooked a bunch of bacon on the Blackstone, and then made "patties" of some sort with the tots. Salt and peppered heavily, and fried them up in the bacon grease. It's far from scratch, but sweet Jesus it turned out well.

tarheelmatt · September 2017

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I microwave my shredded taters first. Then fry on blackstone with bacon grease.

1 minute in microwave really helps finished product.

Yep, my findings too.

Cashfan · September 2017

I tried to make perfect hash browns from raw potatoes and had very inconsistent and mixed results. It's too much work to mess with.

Now I use dehydrated hash browns and consistantly get excellent results. Its easy to make small portions or big portions. Let them sit in warm water for 10 min, drain, and cook in warm peanut oil. Peanut oil is key too, much better than olive or vegetable oil, imho.

bucky925 · September 2017

Carolina Q said:

Only made them once. Tasted good, but not worth the bother. I didn't add the cheese, just potatoes with s&p. I think one of the keys is, once you put them in the pan, don't mess with them until it's time to flip. The other is ringing out the water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZsN_2IOtl8

I didn't make it past the part when she was grateing the ......be right back

TN_Sister_State · September 2017

bucky925 said:

Carolina Q said:

Only made them once. Tasted good, but not worth the bother. I didn't add the cheese, just potatoes with s&p. I think one of the keys is, once you put them in the pan, don't mess with them until it's time to flip. The other is ringing out the water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZsN_2IOtl8

I didn't make it past the part when she was grateing the ......be right back

That flip.......

thetrim · September 2017

I open the door to Waffle House.

tenpenny_05 · September 2017

Properly rinsing and drying are the trick. Also microwaving them to get them started helps as well.

GATraveller · September 2017

As close to restaurant as I've found.....great taste and crisp up nicely.

CarolinaCrazy · September 2017

I use this recipe from Cook's Illustrated all the time. Love it. Only trick is getting the pan temp right so that they brown perfectly at 4-5min per side.

I've had no issues using Russet potatoes as well with similar results.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/9471-better-hash-browns

4	teaspoons salt

2 ½	pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and shredded

¼	teaspoon pepper

¼	cup vegetable oil

1. Spray 8-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Whisk 2 cups water and salt in large bowl until salt dissolves. Transfer potatoes to salt water and toss briefly to coat. Immediately drain in colander. Place 2½ cups potatoes in center of clean dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to wring out excess moisture. Transfer dried potatoes to large bowl. Add pepper and toss to combine. Microwave until very hot and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Place remaining potatoes in towel and wring out excess moisture. Add to microwaved potatoes and toss with two forks until mostly combined (potatoes will not combine completely). Continue to microwave until potatoes are hot and form cohesive mass when pressed with spatula, about 6 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving.

2. Transfer potatoes to prepared pan and let cool until no longer steaming, about 5 minutes. Using your lightly greased hands, press potatoes firmly into pan to form smooth disk. Refrigerate until cool, at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours (if refrigerating longer than 30 minutes, wrap pan with plastic wrap once potatoes are cool).

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Invert potato cake onto plate and carefully slide cake into pan. Cook, swirling pan occasionally to distribute oil evenly and prevent cake from sticking, until bottom of cake is brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. (If not browning after 3 minutes, turn heat up slightly. If browning too quickly, reduce heat.) Slide cake onto large plate. Invert onto second large plate. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Carefully slide cake, browned side up, back into skillet. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is brown and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully slide cake onto plate and invert onto serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · September 2017

I know this sounds weird but it makes great hash browns-

get some Ore-Ida Tater tots and nuke for 30-45 seconds until soft (not hot, just unfrozen). Place in med-high pan (I use 6 on my induction oven- you don't want it too hot) with a little preheated EVOO. You don't need much, maybe a couple teaspoons or a tablespoon max. Toss them in the oil or stir them around then squish with a spatula. You can either squish each tot into a mini ball of hash browns or kind of break them up and then press them all together together in a large, flat round of tater. Add salt and pepper and brown for 4-5 min then flip. go another 4-5 or as needed to get some color on them. Whatever trans fat artery clogging goo they put in tots makes them brown up very nicely on the outside and leaves the middle all soft and creamy. This is my go-to for breakfast tacos (I did it this morning and I have 2 of the frozen hash browns noted above right next to them in the freezer). Tots are always the answer.

How do you make hashbrowns?

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