If my husband were to decide what to have for his last meal, I think hash browns would definitely make the cut. I would agree. There’s just something completely satisfying about crisp, brown, buttery potatoes.
But hash browns can easily go wrong. Too often they’re mushy, pale, and lack that crispy goodness.
Let me show you how to avoid subpar hash browns!
Peel or scrub your potatoes. There’s no need to get rid of the skins if you don’t want to.
Have a bowl of cold water ready.
Shred your potatoes. I love using my food processor for this. A hand grater works just fine, but it’s so much faster with the grating blade of a food processor.
Immediately put the potatoes into the bowl of water. Soaking the potatoes in the water removes some of the starch and keeps the potatoes from turning an unappetizing color.
Once the potatoes have soaked for a few minutes, squeeze them out and put them on a clean dish towel.
Look at all that starch in the water! The water will turn brown if you leave it long enough.
Now that you’ve given your potatoes a bath, it’s time to towel off!
Squeeze the potatoes over the bowl of water.
Now preheat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. You want to make sure the pan is very hot. Add a good amount of butter.
Add the shredded potatoes, turn the heat down to medium-high, and spread them out in an even layer. It’s important to choose a large enough pan so that the potatoes can cook in a thin layer. I only used 2 potatoes for this 12-inch skillet.
Now you wait. It will be tempting to turn the hash browns as soon as you see some color on the bottom. Resist the urge! When you think the hash browns MUST be ready to flip, wait a bit longer.
You can use a metal spatula to gently lift the potatoes to see how they’re faring.
When you’re absolutely sure that the potatoes are crispy enough on the bottom, it’s time to turn!
Don’t try to be a hero and flip the whole thing at once. Do it in sections. And if some of the hash browns aren’t getting done as quickly, let them cook a bit longer. Notice I only flipped half of the pan at first.
Season the potatoes generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Aren’t they beautiful?
The second side will cook faster than the first, so keep an eye on it!
Try not to eat the entire pan by yourself. Or do. I won’t judge!
I like my hash browns with a good squeeze of ketchup on top. My husband likes to slather on more butter. Mmhmm.
In summary:
1. Shred your potatoes and immediately put them into a bowl of cold water. Let soak for a few minutes.
2. Place the potatoes on a (clean) dish towel, wrap them up and squeeze out any excess water.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet (or griddle) over high heat. Add a few tablespoons of butter. Once it’s melted, add the potatoes in a thin layer and turn the heat down to medium-high.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook until very crispy and brown on the bottom, then flip and cook on the other side.
My husband likes to add more butter halfway through the cooking process. Yes, he is an unabashed butter addict.
How do you eat your hash browns? With ketchup? Butter? Gravy?
