I made some hash browns last weekend. SO said she’d never made them from scratch. When she’d made them at home – probably back when she was living with her parents – they came from a bag in the freezer. (FTR, I’ve made hash browns from scratch for her at least once before.) Since she commented on them, here’s the situation…
There was a bag-o-spuds sitting in the kitchen. They’d been there since Christmas, and they were starting to sprout. Gotta use 'em! SO had finally talked me into buying a food processor, which I used on the potatoes last week. So I peeled the dozen-plus small potatoes and ran them through.
Have you ever made hash browns and have them come out a bit gooey? You need to get some of the starch out of them first. So I put the shredded goodness into a large bowl with cold water and let them soak while I did dishes. I transfered them to a colander and rinsed them thoroughly, tossing them several times, and then let them drain. They just fit into a one-gallon zip-top bag, and are in the fridge ready to use. Once I’ve cooked some today (in butter, with salt and pepper) I’ll put the rest in the freezer. Much cheaper than buying bags of Ore-Ida!
That’s the way to go if you have a food processor and the freezer space. That and a bag of chopped frozen onions and bell peppers and breakfast is half-done!
I used to love Potatoes O’Brien when I was a kid. Nowadays I prefer the buttery goodness of plain hash browns. (I did get some bagged Potatoes O’Brien last Summer. They were good.)
What I call hash browns when I make them are diced (which according to Wikipedia is a normal thing to call them in some places, so that’s what I call them–home fries are a lot bigger chunks). I cut 3-4 russets into pea-sized cubes rinse them and dry them with lots of paper towels, salt and pepper them, fry them in a covered pan with 3 Tbsp butter for about 10 minutes, then remove the lid and fry for another 10-20 minutes, stirring once in awhile. They’re so ridiculously delicious.
Edit: although other potatoes taste better, the texture of russets is IMO superior for hash browns: they get fluffy and crunchy, where things like Yukon Golds stay dense and turn a little greasy.
Starchy potatoes work better than waxy potatoes, e.g. Russets are preferred over red potatoes. I’m not sure what hybrids like Yukon Gold will do.
And for the record, hash browns are made of shredded potato with the rough size of wide-grated cheese. Diced potatoes (sometimes with added ingredients) are called home fries, dammit.
ETA: sniped. I’m not sure pea-sized are home fries, though. I’d have to see them before giving the hash brown seal of approval.
If you have more than you will use right away, keeping them refrigerated in cold water to cover will keep them from discoloring. Or you could blanch them, but that’s too much trouble.
White potatos will do well (and make good potato chips too). Russets can be soaked like Johnny did to avoid the goo, but I kind of like them that way. But I can’t think of a potato that won’t make some good hash browns. The trick is to get them into a hot greased skillet and browned quickly on the outside so you can flip it like a big potato pancake and brown the other side. I like to add onions and cayenne and/or black pepper. And salt, you can’t eat potatoes without salt. It just isn’t right.
Also, for a nice pan breakfast, fry up some bacon or sausage, then do the hash browns in the grease. Leave a hole in the middle of the potatoes and drop a couple of eggs in a few minutes before the potatoes are done. And if you have the time, cook up some grits and biscuits, make a little gravy and maybe a few buckwheat pancakes with butter and honey on them. Some tomato juice and little fruit wouldn’t kill you, nor would some smoked salmon and a schmear.
Potatoes will turn brown on exposure to air, but if you squeeze out excess liquid (which you should do before frying hash browns anyway), they will whiten up again as they cook.
A local restaurant makes a “Hashbrown Sandwich,” which is essentially a Denver Omlet, scrambled and topped with a huge pile of hash browns. A half order is enough for two.
And I learned to make a Mish-Mosh from a diner in North Hollywood. That’s home fries with chopped onions, ham, green peppers and an egg mixture thrown on the grill with some cheese, then tossed to cook. Add mushrooms and it becomes an Idiot’s Mish-Mosh, don’t know why.
I prefer to fry mine in bacon fat, like most people with a lick o’ sense. Russets are my preferred, but Yukons work well also and are more flavorful. Top with an over easy egg or some sausage gravy. Or both.
