Hash browns

[soleiri]

When I was a kid, we would occasionally eat hash browns. We’d buy ore-ida or usually the store brand frozen rectangles of shredded potato. As a mom myself, I’ve bought those frozen rectangles, but I’ve always hated making them. I hate the way they splatter when they hit the hot oil. I hate and have avoided making them unless confronted in the grocery store’s frozen food section by one of my offspring with Bambi eyes. Then, I few weeks ago I made a startling discovery. A mindblowing eureka moment that I thought I’d share. A culinary wonder that may not be well known.

I wanted to make potatoes for breakfast, but I didn’t have time to dice and cook potatoes. So I decided to shred the potato and cook it in a frying pan. Follow my logic here, if you shred a potato, it’ll cook faster. It worked and it was absolutely delicious!

So here it goes, If you peel and shred a potato then fry it in a pan with oil, you’ve made hash browns that are quicker, easier and way better than store bought. Can you believe it?


:blush:

goodness, I feel stupid. Any one else have a mindblowing eureka moment that is common knowledge to everyone else in the world?

[Lucinda]

1. LOL I just figured out that I could spin the shredded potatoes

in my salad spinner and get rid of the extra moisture.
Sooo... now I get no oil spitting, and crispy outside with creamy insides

I blame my late knowledge on a former love of paper towels. I've banned them from my kitchen and am learning all kinds of new tricks.

[The empressof all]

2. Don't forget to shred a little onion in with it too

The dryer you get your potatoes before you put them in the pan- the better the result. For Hash Browns spinning in the salad spinner is good enough but if you want GREAT...Go ahead and squeeze them out a bit. You don't want them as dry as you would for latkes because you aren't adding any egg but dry to the touch is good.

When you put the potatoes in the pan....Just leave them and resist all impulses to move them around. You'll get a browner and crisper potato if you leave them alone and let them get crispy on one side before you start flipping and moving them.

If you shred in the processor you will not get as good a result as if you shred with a box grater. For Hash Browns you can certainly process away....But for latkes...NEVER!

[Lucinda]

3. I minced spring onions in the batch the other day. Used the boxed grater.

My mandoline has a grater blade but it was making soup, so I switched. I hate to clean the box grater, but it really is the best choice most of the time. The food processor only comes out for BIG jobs around here.

I'd like to get a microplane though, for hard cheeses.

[The empressof all]

4. I love the microplane

It's the best for citrus zest and it grates the hard cheese into powdery snow! A little bit of cheese makes a huge pile of goodness. You gotta get one! Even my SO who frowns on all kitchen gadgets uses it.

I stick the box grater in the dishwasher....No bruised knuckles. I also use my little safety grabber thing from my mandoline when I'm using the box grater. It's easier to keep hold of the food for me with my arthritis.

[Lucinda]

5. I chuck mine in the dishwasher too. So easy. The microplane is on the top of my shortlist now.

We lean toward tools that multitask well, so I dont have many gadgets, but I DO want the microplane.

I used my extra tax refund money to buy the 4.99 La Cloche (yeay ebay!) and a set of CUP MEASUREMENT measuring spoons.

I have a 1/8 cup, 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup set of spoons that I loved and could never find the full cup spoon anywhere. I saw a set on ebay when I was shopping for something to bake bread in. So Now I have a full cup spoon and 1/3 cup, and a spare 1/4 and 1/2. They are SO MUCH better than regular measuring cups for me. My first set is a bit different, but ehre are the new additions:



They bumped the microplane down the list. But it's next!

[soleiri]

7. Spin drying potatoes

That would fall more in the “helpful hint” category and less in the “I can’t believe I didn’t figure this out sooner what a dunce I am” category.

Seriously, I’m going to finally buy a salad spinner and try this out, thanks.

[Lucinda]

8. If you knew how old I was you'd realize "I can’t believe I didn’t figure this out sooner"

totally applies. :rofl:

[Coyote_Bandit]

6. Whenever I bake potatoes

I always bake an extra or two. After they cool I put them in the fridge. A day or two later I'll dice them and make hashbrowns. Usually I don't peel them. More home fries than hashbrowns really. They warm and crisp quickly in a skillet with just a bit of oil. Usually I cook them with some onion and peppers.

[soleiri]

9. Although I rarely make baked potatoes, this is a great hint. thanks.

I’ve been obsessed with potatoes recently.

my favorite potato recipe is Alu ki Tikki from an indian vegetarian cookbook I have.
Potato cutlets with coriander, cumin, ginger and garam masala...yum.

[Warpy]

10. Yes, my Kitchen Aid moment

when I realized how simple it was to bake everything with the proper tool.