Easy and quick to cook and yummy to eat, hash browns are an all-time favorite with homemakers and family alike. Hash browns can range from the sliced and fried potato dish to the shredded and baked rosti or casserole. Though traditionally considered a dish that one would not serve to guests, a basic hash brown recipe can be innovated upon and turned into a gourmet delight with additional toppings, garnishes, and accompaniments. Follow the steps given below to prepare a perfect basic hash brown that will leave your family asking for more.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Resources Required:
1. Three large potatoes
2. Half a cup of finely chopped onions
3. Five cloves of garlic chopped coarsely
4. Two tablespoons of cooking oil
5. A shallow skillet, a grater, and a spatula
6. Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Shred the taters
Wash and peel the potatoes. Using the coarsest part of the grater, shred them. Add a little salt and leave it aside. After a while it will water up. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
2. Start cooking
Heat a tablespoonful of oil till smoking. Throw in the garlic first and then add the onions. Stir continuously till the onion starts to turn brown. The garlic would have gone a darker brown but don’t worry they taste good that way. This should take about 3 minutes. When you are worried that the garlic is going to get burnt, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to slow down the process of cooking while you get the potato ready to join them.
3. Mix the flavors
Make sure that the shredded potato is free from any excess water. Wait till the oil is back to smoking and spluttering and throw in the shredded potato followed by freshly crushed pepper. Mix the potato and fried onions well. Keep stirring till all the potatoes get a golden tinge. This should take about 5 minutes.
4. Let it cook
Spread the hash brown evenly on the skillet, pressing it down a little with the spatula. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes. Use the spatula to indent the surface into four wedges and turn it over. Give it another 5-7 minutes. If you like your hash browns fried crispier, you can turn it over and cook on each side for a few minutes more.
5. Add garnishes
Typically hash browns are served as an accompaniment with roasted or fried meat or steaks, but you can turn the hash brown into the star of the dish. You can serve it with accompanying animal protein such as sausages, fried eggs, or strips of ham or bacon, or you can choose to add some vegan color by throwing in some boiled peas, strips of stir fried carrots and steamed red kraut. You can also close your eyes and slather some table butter on to the hot hash browns just before serving. Parsley and cilantro are good garnishes as are oregano, chives and rosemary.
6. Let it disappear
Serve hot. Keep a helping aside for yourself. Step back and watch it disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How to make hash brown casserole?
A hash brown casserole is basically a hash brown dish with additional ingredients that can include meat and vegetables, cream and milk, which is placed in an oven proof dish and baked. Instead of frying the hash brown, mix all the ingredients together and place them in a casserole and bake for about 40 minutes at 375/180 (gas mark 5-6).
2. Are hash browns healthy?
Hash browns that are low sodium, baked or fried with minimal oil and balanced with vegetables and milk are healthy and nutritious. Hash browns made with a lot of oil, salt, red meat and cheese are not at all healthy.
Quick Tips:
- Work with a thin layer of hash brown or it might not cook thoroughly even though it looks nice and crispy on the outside.
- For foolproof restaurant style hash browns, boil or microwave the potatoes just a little before frying.
Things to Watch Out For:
1. Undercooked potatoes can ruin an otherwise perfect hash brown. Check the inside of hash brown to ensure that they are cooked. You may also want to microwave them for a while before cooking. This usually dries the potato.
2. Be careful of oil splatter when putting the potatoes in. Make sure there is no excess water by drying it down with a paper towel.
3. Cook your hash browns on a low heat in order to prevent the outside from cooking too fast while the insides remain undercooked.
