Comments on: Hash Browns

By: martha

martha — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:32:38 +0000

I reckon instead of boiling you can slice a couple of slashes into the potato then stick it in the microwave on high for a couple of minutes. It should be hissing and cooking but still firm. Then grate and cook in plenty of oil. This is not a low fat food, it’s a comfort food.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:39:05 +0000

As a southern I can say that the only true way to make hash brown is with cast iron and bacon grease.

Another thing I do is to grate the potatoes and put them in cold water to remove the starch then put them in a hot griddle, beware they will pop as they’ll be damp from the water.

There are 100′s of ways to make them, and most are good.

By: Lori Phipps

Lori Phipps — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:03:49 +0000

I loved all of these suggestions. The part I do well is the seasoning of the hashed browns. I make them so often that I line-up the seasonings on my display and just go from one to the next (just in time to flip them). I use parsley flakes, powdered onion, granulated garlic, celery seeds, paprika, basil flakes, oregano flakes, salt and pepper. My family raves over the taste. Hope it helps someone with a taste for something a little different. Also, when I fry bacon, I save the grease and use a little with the butter for added flavor to the hashed browns.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:17:34 +0000

Has anyone thought of using peanut oil?

By: chazpraz

chazpraz — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:32:28 +0000

Instead of a food processor you can use a mandolin slicer. I use the one from OXO. It’s quicker to use and easier to clean. There is a setting for ‘fries’ and ‘shoestring’ that works quite well.

By: VicinSea

VicinSea — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:55:59 +0000

I agree with Anne!

I have worked in many, many greasy spoons and the trick to hash browns is that they are the leftover baked-potatoes from the day before.

The night before, take 5 pounds of bakers(russet potatoes) coat with a light layer of oil and then add a bit of salt and garlic powder. Either wrap the spuds in foil or bake them in a covered dish. Enjoy the baked potatoes for dinner and refrigerate the rest.

For hash browns: grate the pre-baked potatoes into a greased skillet or onto a grill. Drizzle with melted butter(Restaurant Secret # 4–add butter whenever possible!) and fry til golden brown. Flip and fry until golden brown. Sprinkle with Johnny’s Seasoning Salt (Restaurant Secret # 3, Never use salt if you can use MSG instead.)

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:09:17 +0000

I, too, have been on the years-long search for great homemade hashbrowns and would like to add the following to all the interesting different approaches that have been mentioned.

After trying pre-boiled, par-boiled, and baked potatoes, I’ve settled on raw grated potatoes using this approach:

- Grate the potatoes (I use a food processor);
- Put them immediately in a collander inside a pan of salted cold water and stir them a bit;

*This will allow much of the starch to drop out and they will be nice and white. The starch is part of what gives raw hashbrowns that somewhat unpleasant, sort of, well, “starchy” flavor and a gooey texture. You can leave them for awhile if you wish. Further rinsing is optional.

- Then, do the wringing out with the towel trick. This will give them better cohesion;
- If desired, potaotes can be sprinkled with a small amount of flower which will help them stick together better;
- If you want some oniony flavor, add grated onion or just the juice from a grated onion. (Sliced or chopped onions can compromise the “structural integrity” of the hashbrowns.)
- Fry in a non-stick skillet using mostly veg oil with a little bit of butter. (You have to use a bit more oil than I would prefer to get that really golden crust.) SInce they’re raw, they will take a little while to cook so don’t have the burner above medium. Don’t pile them in there too thick and flip them only once. Season in the pan as desired. I just like salt and pepper but my daughter loves them with Season All.

*Cultural note: When my grandmother and her sisters on the German side of the family used to make potato dumplings (we called them “knödel”), they followed a similar procedure. However, after soaking the grated potatoes, they discarded the water and mixed the starch back in. That makes the dumplings really stick together.