Hard to find good hash browns

[Craig234]

I don't know why it's so hard to find.

Most restaurant hash brown are not very good. Just not that flavorful, not that well cooked.

The only good ones that come to mind outside individual restaurants are at Waffle House.

Even some decent independent diners can't do them.

I guess that leaves 'cook them yourself' dealing with the oil and hassle.

And no I'm not counting things like the patties at fast food.

 

[Loop2kil]

I came in to say Waffle House but I see you're already aware of their awesomeness

 

[Craig234]

Yup! And I am aware of tater tots as a fallback. I don't like much as Sonic, but they're good at that. And Arby's has potato cakes. But they're not the same.

 

[JMC2000]

I came in to say Waffle House but I see you're already aware of their awesomeness

Some Huddle House and (extreme emphasis on some) Denny's locations have pretty good hash browns.

Although, it's really hard to beat Waffle House.

 

[dud]

Consider making them yourself. Bet you could do a better job at it ...

 

[Kaido]

I guess that leaves 'cook them yourself' dealing with the oil and hassle.

Not a huge hassle if you cheat! Recipe here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/06/shredded-hash-browns-recipe.html

Full explanation here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/crispiest-shredded-hash-browns.html

Cheat code = microwaving the shredded potatoes before frying them. Well, that and squeezing the water out first. You can also freeze them for quick prep down the road as well. To speed things up, I use a Salad Shooter to do the shredding; you can make a truckload of hashbrowns in like a minute or two with those puppies (design hasn't change since the 80's haha). Some good tips from the article comments as well - use a butter/oil mix to enhance browning & make the patty thicker so that you get a crispy outside & soft inside.

 

[snoopy7548]

The good ones are fried in bacon grease and butter.

 

[gorcorps]

I've never been able to get a good crust on my hash browns the way I like it from restaurants. I've tried a lot of tips and they never work out well

 

[quikah]

Squeezing the water out is the key to good hashbrowns. I use a potato ricer to squeeze it all out.

 

[vi edit]

I've never been able to get a good crust on my hash browns the way I like it from restaurants. I've tried a lot of tips and they never work out well

Big ass cast iron pan + copious amounts of butter. Don't cover either. That's a critical mistake. It traps the moisture and you end up with mush.

 

[shortylickens]

I didnt know what hash browns were until I was 12 years old.

Before that, all I had were McDonalds hash browns.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Read the thread title as "hard to find good hash brownies" and I was thinking that I have a really good recipe to share.

 

[who?]

Did you see that news story about people who eat fried potatoes dying younger than people who don't eat fried potatoes?

 

[Platypus]

Big ass cast iron pan + copious amounts of butter. Don't cover either. That's a critical mistake. It traps the moisture and you end up with mush.

Agreed, the double cast iron pan way is the best way for my tastes though. Heat a second empty pan up to crazy temperature and then put the bottom of that pan on top of the potatoes that are already inside the first pan, instead of trying to flip them over.

 

[shortylickens]

Read the thread title as "hard to find good hash brownies" and I was thinking that I have a really good recipe to share.

YOU CAN STILL SHARE THE RECIPE!!!!

 

[vi edit]

Agreed, the double cast iron pan way is the best way for my tastes though. Heat a second empty pan up to crazy temperature and then put the bottom of that pan on top of the potatoes that are already inside the first pan, instead of trying to flip them over.

I had never thought of that. I do have a 2nd one I can use as a searing/smasher hotplate on top. Hmmmmmm........

I know what I'm trying out this weekend.

 

[Platypus]

I had never thought of that. I do have a 2nd one I can use as a searing/smasher hotplate on top. Hmmmmmm........

I know what I'm trying out this weekend.

Let me know how you like it, I think it makes them the most crispy possible without burning them or drying out the middle too much

 

[joutlaw]

I get the hash browns from the refrigerated section by eggs in most grocery stores including Walmart. I'm not sure if the potato has been par cooked before they were shredded, but they always make great hash browns. It's a little challenging to make hash browns without a griddle but it can be done in a cast iron skillet. I've found that gas cook tops work better than electric.

I drop a few tablespoons oil in the skillet. Let it get pretty hot, but not smoking. Drop the hash browns in, evenly spread, and drop to medium low heat. Key is to oil the hash browns before flipping over to get the other side crispy. Also, flip over in sections - i.e. in a circular pan divide into 4 sections and flip over each section instead of mixing everything back up. Otherwise, you will get mushy hash browns without much of a crust.

 

[ElFenix]

^^ use the same trick for panino.

edit: i mean the double cast-iron money