Hashed Brown Potatoes

(Breakfast or Lunch Side Dish)

Preparation Time: 40–60 Minutes
It is best to use large Russet potatoes (called “bakers”). When
properly grated, they will produce the longest threads. They also
tend to resist falling apart more than red or white potatoes.
1.) Peel the potatoes (submerge peeled potatoes in a pot of cold,
well-salted water to prevent oxidation). Reserve water for later use.
2.) Using a plane grater (avoid box graters, if possible), and working
with long unbroken strokes, run the potatoes lengthwise along the
grater in order to produce the longest threads. This is vital in order
to produce hashed browns that form a perfect crust. Avoid any
“back-and-forth” motion as this merely breaks up the shreds.
3.) Immediately return the potato shreds to the pot of cold, salted
water. And continue grating until all the potatoes are used.
4.) Reach into the pot of water and, grasp a handful of the shreds.
Squeeze them tightly in order to press out their starch. Do this
several times, then swirl the shreds and allow them to settle for
several minutes.
5.) Agitate the shreds and then strain off the water. (Pour the water
into a second bowl id you want to settle out the potato starch for
some other recipe.)
6.) Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the water runs clear. (At this point,
you can let the starch settle out of the water for later harvesting.)
7.) Heat a very large skillet or stovetop griddle over medium heat.
8.) Strain the potato shreds a final time and allow to drain in a
colander or sieve.
9.) Using a clean tea towel or paper towels (a salad spinner may also
work—I will be testing this soon), roll up the potato shreds and wring
them out. Twist and press the towel to extract the most water
possible. This is a critical step.
10.) Increase the (preferably gas) stove’s heat to “high” and lob in a
generous knob or two of real (salted) butter. Vegans can use Earth
Balance “butter” which I find a decent (but not perfect) substitute
for real butter. Those who are concerned about cholesterol can use a
50:50 blend of butter and vegetable oil. A combination of bacon
grease and butter can deliver spectacular results so long as the
bacon fat does not have a lot of fried meat granules in it.
11.) Once the butter or fat is totally melted, test for proper heat by
dropping a few threads of potato onto the hot surface and see if
they immediately begin to sizzle. The pan must be completely
heated before proceeding.
12.) Pile up the processed potato shreds at least one inch (2.54 cm)
high and cover most of the pan’s surface. Then reduce the heat to
medium or medium high,depending upon burner size, amount of
potatoes, and BTUs.
13.) It is absolutely CRITICAL that you NEVER press down on this
mass. Yes, it makes a nice sizzling sound and you are increasing
intimate contact with the pan which promotes heat transfer. At the
same time, you are creating a huge wad of library paste by
comparison to if you just leave the potatoes alone.
14.) Periodically test the potatoes by sliding a spatula underneath
them to ensure that they are not sticking to the pan. If they are
sticking, add more butter (or oil).
15.) This is also when the shreds should be salted. Good hashed
browns MUST be salted as they fry. No amount of salt added later at
the table can make up for not having salted them in the pan during
the cooking process.
16.) If a good, golden-brown crust has formed on the underside, it is
time to flip the potatoes. Use a large spatula (or even a cake flipper)
to turn over the entire mass at once without breaking the crust.
When using a griddle, cut the entire mass into halves or quarters
and flip them individually.
If the pan has run dry of melted butter, simply place a few more pats
of butter on the uncooked side before flipping the mass over.
NOTE: If you are going to “air-flip” them in a somersault fashion,
make sure there is not an excessive amount of liquid oil in the pan
as this can spatter and cause serious burns to your skin. Air-flipping
is risky but can deliver excellent results (or a major kitchen
catastrophe). Practice this technique using pancakes or French toast
first, before attempting this with hashed browns.
17.) Salt the crusted side and reduce heat to medium. By this time
the mass has come up to temperature and continuing on medium-
high poses a serious risk of scorching (save in cases of really big
quantities). Again, periodically test the potatoes for sticking, adding
butter or oil as needed. To test if the pan has gone dry, merely tilt it
and see if any liquid accumulates at the pan’s bottom edge.
18.) Bring the underside to a golden brown and prepare to serve.
This is the time to be frying bacon, links, ham, sausage patties, links
or a nice New York strip steak to serve with your potatoes. It is also
the time to cook some eggs.
As I noted in my answer to Kevin Tavris, soft-poached eggs are an
ideal accompaniment for these hashed browns. Sunny side up works
acceptably but only people with an aversion to liquid yolks should
avoid using some form of soft-cooked eggs. The rich flavor of egg
yolks are a perfect foil to the fried potatoes.
It is also time to be shredding a goodly amount of Monterey Jack
cheese. For a change-up some mild or smoked cheddar can be used
(even raclette). However, sharp cheeses will tend to overpower the
subtle flavor of the fried potatoes.
Ideally, serve the hashed browns on warmed plates as this will keep
them at perfect dining temperature for a longer period. Unless you
have a salamander in your kitchen, it is important to immediately
top the potatoes with shredded cheese so that it will melt properly.
Top the potatoes with shredded cheese, then place two or three
poached (or fried) eggs atop that and prepare for a taste of the
hereafter.