How the heck do you make hash browns like you get in restaurants?

Question

I know you don't just grate the spuds and fry them, they turn into mush.

I've tried rinsing the grated spuds, I've tried steaming the rinsed grated spuds, I've tried boiling it first, I've even tried deep frying.

I just can't figure it out. How do you make those great hash browns they serve with eggs over easy at the restaurant?

Answer 1

Coarsly grate them and soak them in heavily saletd water for 1/2 hour. Drain and pat VERY dry. Melt bacon grease in an iron skillet and cook a thin layer of potatoes over medium heat. Turn once after @ 10 Min. Cook the other side. Repeat for the batch. Keep them warm on a paper towel in a 250 oven.

Answer 2

Restaurant Style Hash Browns

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

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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 5

Homemade Hash browns are great. Here's the secret:
Bake or microwave the potatoes with peeling ON until they're about 1/3 done. The should still be firm and "crunchy, not soft and mushy! DO NOT overcook them. Do this the night before and refrigerate them until the AM. When ready to cook, peel and grate the potatoes with a coarse grater.

In a frying pan (cast iron is best,) put app. 1/4" of canola oil and 1/4 stick margarine into the pan.. (A little bacon grease will add flavor) Use med-hi heat.Swirl pan around when butter melts to distribute it in the pan. Add Hash browns. You can put quite a bit in the pan - they will cook down.Reduce to med heat. Let them brown good on one side without stirring. When brown, use a spatula to turn them over without stirring them much, and brown the other side. Salt and pepper to taste.

For variation, you can mince a little (not a whole lot) onion in with the potatoes as you grate them for extra flavor

Enjoy... they are great !

Answer 6

Most places use frozen hash browns. The grill is really really hot and they use a fair amount of oil. The frozen potatoes are not turned or stirred much, but left in a shallow layer until browned on one side and then turned over to brown on the other side. You can duplicate with a fry pan on top of the stove. Just make sure the pan is hot but not smoking before adding the shredded frozen bits, and don't over-crowd the pan. If you're cooking for more than two people, you may have to make them in batches and hold the cooked hash browns in a warm oven to keep hot until serving.

Answer 7

Most restaurants use IQF frozen hashbrowns. If you want to purchase these, then look up "Grocery Wholesale" in your local yellow pages. These are the stores that sell food to restaurants. They are usually open to the general public. (IQF stands for "Individually Quick Frozen")

However, it you want a surefire recipe, try this:

Par boil your potatoes first. Par boiling does not cook them all the way through, otherwise they turn to mush. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in peeled and halved potatoes. Set a timer for 8 minutes. When the timer goes off, drain the potatoes well and put them in the fridge (uncovered). Do not grate them until they are cold. Par boiling sets the color and prevents them from turning black.

Fry them in a pan or on a griddle with clarified butter. Clarified butter can be made by melting a pound of butter and scraping the foam off the top. A layer of sediment will be at the bottom. Ladle the clear butter into another container and discard the sediment.

Place the clarified butter into the hot pan or griddle. Place the hashbrowns in the butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Do not touch them or turn them until they get crispy. Carefully turn them. DO NOT stir them. Brown the other side and serve.

Answer 8

All of these are good answers but you mainly have to make sure they are VERY dry. Rachael Ray actually puts the grated potatoes in a clean wash rag and squeezes out the remaining liquid. Ive done this and they come out crispy and fine. Also make sure you are using very hot oil, a regular skillet is fine. Good luck!

Answer 9

Well most restaurant use ready made ones now. If you are lucky enough to get the real stuff it will most likely be from shredded cooked potato with some chopped onions, pepper and salt maybe nutmeg for taste fried on the grill with their fat of choice.

Answer 10

The trick is to make sure that your frying pan in piping hot. Also don't let the hashbrown be more than an inch thick.