Hash Browns Like No Other Food

COPYCAT MCDONALD'S HASH BROWNS RECIPE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and discard the skins, placing the potatoes in a bowl of cold water to keep them from discoloring.
• Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil with the salt and sugar in a medium saucepan. When the water is boiling, grate the potatoes through the large hole of a box grater and add them to the boiling water. Cook for three minutes.
• Remove the potatoes to a strainer and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Transfer the potatoes to a cheesecloth-lined strainer and squeeze out most of the excess water. There should be some water remaining to help bind with the flour, but the potatoes should not be dripping wet.
• Place the strained potatoes in a medium bowl and mix with the rice flour, corn flour, onion powder, and white pepper.
• Form four patties about 1/4 cup each and shape them into large ovals.
• Freeze the patties for one to three hours, until they're hardened all the way through.
• In a large sauté pan, heat an inch of oil over medium-high heat until it's shimmering.
• Carefully add the potato patties to the hot oil, splitting them into two batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
• Flip the hash brown halfway through, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes per side until they're golden brown and crispy on both sides.
• Remove the hash brown to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve hot.

THE BEST CRISPY HASH BROWNS (RESTAURANT-STYLE!)

Steps:

• Rinse and scrub potatoes (no need to peel yet). For any potatoes that are larger than 2 inches wide or 3 ½ inches long, cut in half widthwise. Set aside.
• Place a colander in the sink so that it's ready when time to drain and rinse the potatoes. This is important because small variations in cook time can lead to mushy hash browns or a raw potato taste.
• Fill a large pot with ~1/2-inch of water (for us that was ~3 cups or 710 ml). Place a steamer basket over the water and position it so that you can see the water on the sides of the basket. Do not add potatoes yet.
• Bring water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, place the unpeeled potatoes in the steamer basket. It's okay if the steamer basket fully covers the water at this point.
• Cover and steam for 8 minutes. Then immediately transfer to colander. Drain and rinse with cool water and set aside until cool enough to handle (~5 minutes). They should only be partially cooked - the skin should be easy to pierce with a fork, but the center of the potatoes (or potato chunks if cut pieces of larger potatoes) should still feel firm. When cut in half, they should look about halfway cooked (see photo).
• The peel usually slides off easily, but if it doesn't, you can remove it with a vegetable peeler. If using a box grater, the peel will come off when grating and you can discard any large chunks of peel. It's okay if some small pieces of the peel get grated.
• Grate potatoes using a food processor grating attachment (our preferred method - chop into smaller pieces as needed to fit down the feed tube) or the large side of a box grater. Place grated potatoes into a medium mixing bowl. Add sea salt, black pepper, and onion powder (optional) and stir gently with a fork to evenly distribute spices. Stop here and see step 13 if freezing for later use.
• For cooking the hash browns, you can either use the stovetop method (steps 9 & 10) OR the oven method (step 11). Both are delicious. We prefer the flavor and texture of the stovetop method but the oven method is ideal for larger batches.
• STOVETOP: Heat a large (10-inch or larger) cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat (non-stick will also work but doesn't get them as crispy). Form potato mixture into 1/4-inch thick patties (recipe as written makes 4 large or 8 small hash brown patties).
• Once the pan is hot, work in batches by adding half of the oil (1 ½ Tbsp (22 ml) // amount as recipe is written) and as many hash browns as will comfortably fit in the pan. Cook undisturbed for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown on the underside. Reduce heat if browning too quickly. Carefully flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining half of the oil and hash browns. Skip to step 12 if you cooked your hash browns on the stovetop.
• OVEN: Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form potato mixture into 3-inch wide by 1/4-inch thick patties and brush each side with half of the oil (1 ½ Tbsp (22 ml) // amount as original recipe is written). Use additional baking sheets if making a larger batch. Bake on the center rack for 13-15 minutes on the first side, flip, and bake 7-10 minutes on the second side, or until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
• Best when fresh. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Optionally, serve with ketchup, vegan sausage, vegan scrambled eggs, perfect fried eggs, frittata, and/or a vegan omelette.
• FREEZE: proceed through step 7, form into 1/4-inch thick patties, and then place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer to a sealed container, and when ready to cook, proceed with step 9 (stovetop method) or step 11 (oven method).

HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Make clarified butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and cook until the white milk solids separate and rise to the top, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and carefully skim off the milk solids with a spoon; discard. Strain the remaining butter through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside (you should have about 1/4 cup clarified butter).
• Peel the potatoes and grate them on the large holes of a box grater into a colander. Squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands, then blot the potatoes dry with paper towels.
• Heat the clarified butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes to the skillet in a few piles and flatten with a spatula; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and the paprika. Cook, undisturbed, until the potatoes start browning on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip, then drizzle with the cream; cook, undisturbed, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, flipping the hash browns occasionally, until golden brown and crisp all over, about 15 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-9-inch casserole dish with the butter and set aside.
• Add the hash browns, 7 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) of the Cheddar, the sour cream, onion, egg, paprika, cayenne and 1/4 cup of the chopped chives to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and top with the remaining 1 ounce (1/2 cup) Cheddar.
• Bake for 45 minutes until the casserole is heated through, browned on top and the sides become crispy. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into slices and dollop with more sour cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons chives.

HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 mins then drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Coarsely grate the potatoes into a bowl discarding any skin that comes off in your hand as you grate. Season well with salt and pepper and pour over half the butter. Mix well then divide the mix into 8 and shape into patties or squares. The hash browns can be prepared a day ahead and chilled until ready to cook or frozen for up to a month.
• To cook, heat the oil and the remaining butter in a frying pan until sizzling and gently fry the hash browns, in batches if needed, for 4-5 mins on each side until crisp and golden. Serve straight away or leave in a low oven to keep warm.

EMILY'S FAMOUS HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Rinse shredded potatoes until water is clear, then drain and squeeze dry. Place shreds in a bowl, and mix in the onion, flour and egg until evenly distributed.
• Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is sizzling hot, place potatoes into the pan in a 1/2 inch thick layer. Cover the whole bottom of the pan, or make separate piles like pancakes. Cook until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip over and brown on the other side. It should take at least 5 minutes per side. If you are cooking them in one big piece, it can be cut into quarters for easier flipping.
• Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• In a heavy medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened and caramelized. Remove onions from skillet. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and heat. Add diced potatoes in an even layer in the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes begin to brown on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent sticking. Add onions back to skillet, press into a pancake. Season with salt and pepper.

HASH BROWNS LIKE NO OTHER

Steps:

• Heat tallow in a medium skillet until tallow reaches 300 degrees.Add bacon bits,garlic,onion,and shallots to skillet.Sautee for about 3-5 minutes.Add potatoes to skillet.Reduce heat.
• Sprinkle salt,pepper and paprika over potatoes while in skillet.Stir well.Cover pan.
• Cook potatoes for about 7-10 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown on both sides,turning potatoes twice.Serve.

CRISPY RESTAURANT-STYLE HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Rinse shredded potatoes in a colander with cold water until water runs clear. Place in a cheesecloth or clean dish towel and twist tightly to squeeze out all moisture.
• Place potatoes in a bowl with onion, flour, salt, and pepper. Add egg and mix thoroughly.
• Heat oil in a shallow, cast iron frying pan. Add potato mixture to the hot oil to form either on large or several smaller pancakes. Cook until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel and serve hot.