[salish]

Do we have any short-order cooks around here? I've been trying to cook hash browns the last few weekends and I keep screwing it up. It always ends up uncooked and gooey inside. Really important stuff, I know, but I'm stuck at home today and feel like cooking a huge artery-clogging breakfast. What I normally do: shred the spuds and wash with hot water in a colander, let is rest for five minutes or so, then do it again to get the starch out. I put olive oil in in a fry pan and bring it up to medium-hot, the add the spuds. I cover and cook for maybe 8-10 minutes then take the cover off and flip the spuds once, cook another 5 minutes or so, then reduce heat and cook another few minutes. It never seems to work for me. Today I'm doing the starch washing thing, then I'll spread the spuds out on paper towels to get moisture out, then toss in the fry pan with crisco this time (I know the evils of hydrogenated fats, but I use it probably once every two months). Am I doing something wrong? By the way, I make the best fried potatoes on the planet, but I can't seem to get the hang of cooking HBs. Cliff

[salish]

Never mind....it worked. Drying the spuds on paper towels for a little while seemed to do the trick. -C

[Allison]

They taste better if you cook them in bacon fat.

[jenjen]

I load the grated spuds into a clean dishcloth and wring as much water as I possibly can out. They always come out fine for me. Also, make sure you're oil is good and hot before you add the spuds. I use corn oil for this because it can go hotter before reaching the smoke point.

[Brian Curtis]

You actually don't want to remove the starch by rinsing the grated potatoes. You need the starch to hold the cake of hash browns together. Use russet potatoes because they are high in starch. To get the best browning use butter. Bacon grease and vegetable oil produce hash browns with less color and flavor. Here's the recipe: 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled, washed, dried, grated course, and squeezed dry in kitchen towel (about 1.5 loosely packed grated potatoes) 1/4 teaspoon salt ground black pepper 1 tablespoon butter Toss the dried potatoes with salt and pepper. Heat half the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to brown. Then scatter the potatoes over the bottom of the pan and press them to flatten. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until dark golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Invert the hash browns onto a plate, add the remaining butter to the pan. When the butter has melted slide the potatoes back onto the pan and continue to cook until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes longer.

[reststep]

You are making me hungry here.

[BarePaw]

When I worked in a restaurant, we boiled the potatoes until they were fork tender, then shredded and fried them. We shredded them with a fairly coarse grater. the strips were about a half inch wide. They were not gooey at all. They formed a nice crisp pancake with a well cooked center. Now I cook for myself and I don't boil them first anymore. I grate them much more finely and fry them in olive oil the way you described. If you cook them on a lower heat for a longer period of time, they will not get gooey. I also toss the shredded potato with salt and a spice mix like Mrs. Dash before frying. That usually turns out well.

[Jamin Smitchger]

Always make sure the pan is very hot and the oil is smoking a little before you put in the potatoes. The oil should be about a eighth of an inch deep or more. I think you are having problems because you do not have enough oil in the pan. I just squeeze all the water out of the potatoes with my bare hands. You do not need to dry the potatoes with anything.

[salish]

Wow, some great reciples, thanks. I'll try all of them at some point. Appreciate the help! Brian - doesn't your butter burn on a higher heat? I've been told to cut butter once with margarine in order to keep it from burning. Your method requires the most work, so I'll bet it's the best ML - know what you mean. I actually use Mantecca lard once in while with stuff like this. Gracias, Cliff

[Brian Curtis]

You need to put in the potatoes just before the butter starts to burn and you turn the heat down as soon as the potatoes are in the pan. One huge advantage to butter is that you get the browning and crisp potatoes without resorting to a ton of oil. And you'll end up with better potato flavor.

[Sore Feet]

[Malachai Constant]

Secret of gormet cooking is lots o' butter, though bacon fat is fine for some things too, great if it not an every day sort of thing

[Allison]

Bacon fat has enough flavor to it that you don't necessarily have to use a lot of it.

[Starjumper7]

You can get non poisonous bacon at Whole Foods Market

[Allison]