Crispy Shredded Hash Browns
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
Lacy, crisp shredded hash browns fried as one big cake, with the shreds wrung thoroughly dry first so they turn deep golden instead of soggy.
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Method
- 1
Grate and Rinse the Potatoes. Grate the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl of cold water, swishing and draining, then repeating until the water is nearly clear. This washes off surface starch, which is what keeps the shreds separate and lacy rather than clumping into a gluey mass.
- 2
Wring Out the Shreds. Pile the shreds onto the tea towel, roll it up and wring hard until no more liquid comes out. Dry shreds are what brown properly in the pan, while wet ones mostly steam, so toss the dried shreds with the salt and pepper once wrung out.
- 3
Heat the Pan. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil and the butter in the frying pan over medium-high heat until the butter foams, which signals the pan is hot enough for the shreds to start crisping on contact.
- 4
Press Into a Thin Layer. Add the shreds to the pan, spreading them into an even layer about 1 cm thick, and press lightly. A thin, even layer cooks through to crisp before the centre has a chance to turn soft.
- 5
Cook the First Side. Cook without moving the pan for 6-8 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and crisp. Leaving it undisturbed lets a solid crust form, since stirring at this stage would simply break it apart.
- 6
Flip and Finish. Slide the hash brown onto the plate, invert the pan over it and flip back in, or flip in sections if that's easier. Add the remaining oil at the edge of the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes more until crisp, then cut into wedges and serve.
Storage
Best eaten freshly cooked; leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat well in a hot dry pan or oven until piping hot (74°C) and crisp again, as a microwave leaves them soft. Cooked hash browns also freeze for up to 1 month — reheat from frozen in a hot pan or oven until piping hot throughout. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- box grater
- large bowl
- clean tea towel
- large non-stick or well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan (28-30 cm)
- wide thin spatula
- large plate
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 237 kcal |
| Protein | 3.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 30.7 g |
| of which sugars | 1.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 11.7 g |
| of which saturates | 3.2 g |
| Fibre | 3.7 g |
| Salt | 1.12 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
