Potatoes are a very versatile dish. All meals can contain potatoes. It is a cheap staple to have in your pantry that you can do so many things with. Hash browns are one of my all time favourites.
According to Wikipedia hash browns or hashed browns or harsh browns are a simple preparation in which potatoes are pan-fried after being shredded, diced, julienne or riced. In some cultures, hash browns or hashed browns can refer to any of these preparations, while in others it may refer to one specific preparation. Hash browns are a staple breakfast food at diners in North America and the UK. Grilling or stove top cooking is usually the preferred method.
In some parts of the United States, hash browns strictly refer to shredded or riced pan-fried potatoes and are considered a breakfast food. Potatoes diced or cubed and pan-fried are also a side dish called country fried potatoes or home fries (though many variations of home fries are par cooked before frying). Some recipes add diced or chopped onions.
Hash browns are a popular mass produced product sold in both refrigerated and frozen varieties. Hash browns are also available in dehydrated form. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_browns
American Hash browns
Growing up I always loved a good ole fashioned breakfast with bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast. My mother made a lovely breakfast!
Hash browns are a breakfast staple in the United States and you can buy them ready to cook in your refrigerated or frozen section just like Wikipedia says in their description.
If you go out for breakfast you can rest assured it is probably on the menu if they serve breakfast in the restaurant you chose.
We take for granted so many things and don’t take the time to really think of what that ease affords us. I have found that I no longer take for granted some of the things I used to. For one because I don’t have some of those things.
Convenience
My busy family ate a large bag of frozen hash browns quite quickly. Sunday Brunch always meant we would be having them. Mrs. Dell had me covered. I got used to being able to have the ease of just going to my freezer and pulling out the bag and making them quite quickly and actually economically because they sold for a very reasonable price and of course I didn’t have any hassle.
I have had to go back and start from scratch and figure out how to make them because it is not just a simple process of grating some potatoes and frying them up. That doesn’t work I am here to tell you. I have tried it and they do not turn out.
After some research and trial and error I have come up with a great recipe and they taste very nice and are lovely and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.
It is a actually quite simple once you know what to do.
Recipe
First peel you potatoes and wash them off. Next shred them using a grater or if you have the attachments and a food processor this works as well. My golden rule on potato dishes is one for each person and one for the pot. It is a very good rule of thumb.
Next soak the shredded potatoes in a bowl of cold water. I usually leave them about 20 to 30 minutes just to get as much starch out as possible. Drain the water off and then run water over them again if they had a lot of starch on them. Now you need a clean somewhat large dish towel. I have a nice big one that I use. Put your potatoes in the dish towel and roll up the ends. It sort of looks like a candy wrapper or sweets wrapper when you do it. Squeeze with all of you strength to get all of the water out of the potatoes. You want them as dry as possible.
Place a couple tablespoons of butter in your skillet and melt the butter completely but don’t allow it to start to go brown. Add your potatoes and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on them. DO NOT TURN THEM OR MOVE THEM. I know the urge is there to stir them and coat them with the butter but DON’T. Cook over a medium heat 5 minutes. They should be starting to get brown around the edges. Now you can flip them and again sprinkle with salt and pepper. Leave cooking over that medium heat for a further 5 minutes and they should be just perfect and ready to eat.
The hash browns will get sticky if you try to stir them or flip them prior to the 5 minutes of cooking.
You may need to add a little more butter when you flip them depending on how many potatoes you have and your skillet.
English Hash browns
After moving to England we went out for breakfast one lovely day as a family. After placing my order I waited with anticipation for my order.
Placed before me were potato patties. English hash browns are a triangular pressed potato product which is generally deep fat fried or baked in the oven. It is a tasty side dish but just not the same as original hash browns.
I now live in England and no longer have the option of buying a bag of frozen shredded potatoes ready to fry up. They do sell the “potato patty” version.
Potato patties are little triangular shaped pressed potatoes. They are tasty enough but just not the same as good old fashion hash browns.
Country Potatoes
Not many places served country potatoes when I was growing up in Nebraska but it is now becoming more popular.
Country potatoes are diced potatoes that sometimes contain onions, different types of meat such as bacon, and spices as well.
There are even places that have country potato casseroles which are quite tasty. It is the same principle as hash browns but don’t have the crunchy outside and soft inside like hash browns do.
