My early attempts to make hash browns at home were disasters. After dozens of unsuccessful efforts, I came to the conclusion that restaurants used Secret Ingredients or Special Equipment or Advanced Techniques or Black Magic to achieve that crispy-creamy hash brown magic. So I did what most sane people do when confronted with the unattainable. I gave up. I turned to grits, to oatmeal, to pancakes, to scrapple…
A couple of years ago I bought a cheap Japanese slicer and went crazy for a while slicing everything edible. Also, my fingers. I decided to take another run at the Holy Grail that is Perfect Hash Browns.
I am pleased to report that I have had some success.
Perfect Hash Browns (for one*)
What you need:
• A medium-size potato**
• A nonstick skillet (any size) with a cover
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt (to taste)
Excellent hash browns can be made from any potato variety, but for perfect hash browns, I recommend a mature russet. In other words, a “baking" potato.
11111Pour the shredded, soaked potatoes into a strainer. Rinse them under running water to get rid of most of the starch. Now (here comes the Black Magic) dump the wet shredded potatoes onto a clean dish towel, gather the corners of the towel together, and twist the towel to wring the water from the potatoes. Give it a good twist. Lots of water will come out.
Put a tablespoon or so of butter in your a nonstick skillet. (You could use a combination of butter and oil, but do not eliminate all the butter – that’s what gets you that nice hash brown color.) Heat skillet. When the butter has melted but is not yet brown, sprinkle the shredded, semi-dry potatoes into the pan. Spread them evenly. Neaten up the edges if you wish, but DO NOT press the potatoes down with the spatula – you want hash browns, not a potato hockey puck. Loose is good. Those air spaces allow the heat and steam from the pan to wend its way up through the shredded potato. Add salt. Sometimes I throw in a pinch of white pepper, but that’s just me.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover pan. Let it cook for about eight minutes, then take a look. If the potatoes are brown around the edges, they are ready to turn. If they aren’t getting brown, turn up the heat a bit and give it a couple more minutes. If the edges are black, you had the heat too high. Start over.Shake the pan to make sure the potatoes aren’t sticking, then flip. You won’t need a spatula. Or maybe you will.
Cook for another five to ten minutes. Leave the skillet uncovered for this stage – you want the top of the hash browns to stay nice and crispy.
Slide onto a plate. Perfect!
Even better!
*To make hash browns for several people, use a bigger pan, but keep the depth of the potato layer about the same. Flipping can be tricky. Good luck.
**This basic technique also works with other vegetables: zucchini, sweet potato, winter squash, beets, parsnip, etc.
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