Hash Browns (Try)

By stancec44

Ingredients

• Idaho Potatoes
• Onions (one for every 2 large potatoes)
• Salt
• Neutral oil with high smoking point

Details

Adapted from purewow.com

Preparation

Step 1

Gather the potatoes onions, flaky salt, and neutral-tasting oil.

Grate your potatoes and onion by hand or, if you have on of those cool time-saving attachments, in a food processor.

Wrap your grated potatoes and onion in a cheesecloth or a clean dish towel, then squeeze the life out of them. Once you've wrung out all the liquid you can, set the whole bundle in a strainer and place it in the sink or over a large bowl. Leave it for a few minutes to allow all the excess liquid hiding in your potatoes to seep out. While it is extremely difficult to wait for hash browns, don't skip this step: It will ensure that your hash browns have a lovely, shatteringly crispy lid.

Coat a non-stick or cast iron skillet with a thin layer of your oil, about a tablespoon. Crank the heat up to medium-high. After a minute or so, test to see if your pan is ready by dropping in a few strands of potato. If it instantly starts to sizzle angrily and spit at you, it's time. Spread out some of the potato mixture in a thin, even layer along the pan. Don't make it too thick or you'll have a lot of potato to cut through -- I'd say about 1/4-inch thick is a good bet.

Now here's the real secret to cripsy hash browns: Place an aluminum foil-wrapped pan (or other heavy item of roughly the same size as your original pan) on top of the potato layer. Weigh it down with something (like a can of tomatoes) if it's light. Then, walk away, change your laundry, and/or drink a mimosa. Come back and remove the top pan, then use a spatula to peek at the underside of the hash brown. If it's that telltale hue of brown and deliciously crispy, you're ready to flip. You can either execute this move with a suave chef-like flick of the wrist or, if you want to play it safe, turn the hash brown out onto a plate and carefully slide it back into the hot pan, crispy side-up. Weigh the whole thing down again.

Once your hash brown is golden brown on both sides, you're ready to eat. Slide it onto a plate, hit it with a pinch of salt, and make sure your ketchup is at arm's length. You're going to need it.