Restaurant Hash Browns - What's the trick?

Question

This is a silly question, but how do I get frozen hash browns to come out like they do at restaurants (Denny's, IHOP, etc.)? Whenever I make them at home, they're not crisp and crunchy like they are at restaurants, and they don't have the same flavor. What's the trick? Do they use a particular brand? Do they fry them in oil, and if so, what kind? Or is it butter? Should the pan be extra hot?

Answer 1

Fry hot in butter or fake butter. When I worked as a fry-cook a million years ago that's what we did, and we had heavy metal press weights (slab of aluminum with a wooden handle) that were kept hot on the grill and used to keep bacon flat and to press the hash-browns so the cooked from both sides at once.

Some things that can be done on a big grill can't be duplicated exactly at home.

The browning comes from the break-down of the fat you are using, more than from the potato. Once the potato starts to burn you will have ruined the flavor. That is why grapeseed oil, olive oil etc. don't make good hash browns. they have too high a flash-point, which is not what you want. A lot of foods require browned butter to impart flavor.

That's why the answers of dirty oil above or bacon grease below are on the mark.

Answer 2

What you'll need: Russet Potatoes, Clarified Butter, Salt & Pepper. Clarified Butter: Take a pound of butter and melt it in a saucepan over medium low heat. Let it simmer until you notice a white foam rise to the top. Remove these milk solids with a ladle until no more remains. Clarified butter is better because it doesn't not brown as quickly as normal butter an thus will give you golden brown, crispy hash browns. Place your potatoes in COLD, UNSALTED water. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Remove them from the water and using a towel, remove the skins. Place the potatoes in the freezer until they are no longer too hot to handle. Grate the potatoes using the large holed side of the grater. Heat a large skillet and add enough clarified butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Add your grated potato to the pan (about 3/4 inch high). Salt and pepper. Flip when golden brown. Salt and pepper. Remove when both sides are golden brown. Note: I know, I know, you're thinking why not peel the potatoes and THEN boil them? Well those skins create a nice barrier against the water which will leave you with a nice dry potato after it has cooled. Mushy potatoes = soggy hash browns. P.S. Adding flour and egg to your potatoes would give you a potato pancake; a pretty dense potato pancake at that. The procedure for a potato pancake is quite different, so if you're going for hash browns, trust me and leave out the egg and flour. All you need is potatoes, clarified butter, salt and pepper.

Answer 3

In my experience, there are two keys to getting crispy hash browns - the potato shreds should be as dry as possible and the layer being cooked should be relatively thin.

If you're working with frozen shredded potatoes (loose, not made up in patties), defrost them in the fridge covered with a paper towel - the dryness of the fridge should help evaporate some of the moisture from the potatoes. Make a layer in your pan of about 1/2" thick. Cook slowly in butter or oil without stirring. When the underside looks brown or you can smell that it's that way, flip over without stirring everything up.

Frozen patties should work about the same way.

If the potatoes are wet, they end up steaming, and by the time the moisture is driven off and things can start browning, the potatoes are over-cooked and mushy.

You might also try adding some diced/minced onion for a little extra flavor.

Answer 4

The trick to crispy hashbrowns is hot oil/pan. Use oil such as canola or vegetable oil (canola is the healthier choice) as it has a higher burn/flash point. Do not use butter as it will burn at a lower temperature than the oil. Put enough oil in a skillet to cover the bottom of the pan and heat at med. high until the oil is good and hot. Put in enough hashbrowns to create a thin layer on the bottom of the pan, about 1/2-3/4 inch. Season the potatoes with your favorite seasoning and allow to fry for 3-5 minutes. Before turning the hashbrowns, pour additional oil around the perimeter of the hashbrowns but on the edge of the pan. This allows additional oil to the bottom for the flip or next side. Flip the hashbrowns and again allow to cook for 3-5 minutes or until brown. Do not flip the hash browns more than one time, allow sufficient time to cook/brown on each side so that you only turn one time. The key to crispy hashbrowns is to be certain the oil and pan are hot before adding the potato. Also, do not use raw potatoes. Use a good quality store potato such as Ore Ida. If you do use real potatoes, make sure they are cooked and cooled prior to frying.

Answer 5

Double cook them in peanut oil. After the first frying to get them done, take them out and blot dry/drain well on paper towels. Then get the grease hot again and fry for a bit longer to 'crisp' them.

Answer 6

I use bacon grease. about 2 tblspoons add hashbrowns to HOT skillet, press them down, add salt and pepper and leave them alone until they are good and browned on the one side.
flipping them is harder, best way is to get a plate and flip the skillet onto the plate so they stay in one piece than let them slide back in the skillet with about 1 more tblspoon of bacon grease. If you cant do the "flip trick" flip by spatula in section to keep them as one piece as close as possible.
Yummy

Answer 7

the cook may start with frozen patties but I'm sure they thaw fast
That huge cooking griddle they can have a very hot end to brown the potatoes and a cooler end for the eggs
plus they have burners

Answer 8

Make sure the taters are dry, place in a kitchen towel after you have shredded them and squeeze out the water.

Answer 9

dirty oil