Ahh, Hash Browns

I like hash browns, they’re yummy. Other people like them too. Waffle House even has a song on their jukebox that’s a tribute to hash browns. Until today, I could only get them in restaurants, and thus at restaurant prices. I’ve tried to make them over the years. I tried baking or microwaving the potato first and then pan frying it. It came out bland and sort of dry. I tried shredding and cooking raw potato. It came out soggy.

Today I tried something I saw on a cooking show. I scrubbed a whole raw baking potato and shredded it using the shredding side of my four-sided grater. I shredded the potatoes onto a kitchen towel and folded them up inside the towel. I set a heavy skillet on them to press the extra water out of the potatoes. I let it sit while I chopped onions to cook with it.

Meanwhile, bacon grease was heating on the stove in a large, heavy skillet at ‘5’ on the 0 thru 10 electric dial. When the grease spat hot and the towel felt wet, I carefully added the shredded potato and chopped onion (onions are optional) to the hot skillet. Seasoned with salt, fresh ground black pepper, dried parsley, and a sprinkle of Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Seasoning.

For once, I exercised enough patience to let the potatoes get crisp and brown on the bottom before turning them. Then I turned the heat down to ‘3’, to give the potatoes time to cook all the way through while the second side browned. Remove from the pan as soon as they are done.

Dang, those were good!

The potato water will stain the kitchen towel brown. If that wasn’t your goal, rinse the towel in cold water immediately.

Sometimes my breakfast mood calls for sausage gravy. My taste for that has been formed mainly by what they give you in restaurants. Experimentation has revealed that the less expensive canned Libby’s Country Sausage Gravy comes closer to my expectation than the fancier Campbell’s brand. Also, when microwaving a few spoonfuls to pour over breakfast, it helps to add just a little water to the bowl.

Bon appetit!