How to Make Perfect Hash Browns

Growing up, my mother fixed my father and I, 2 eggs over-light, 2 slices of bacon, to slices of toast, and a pile of hash browns. Now as an adult, breakfast, just isn't breakfast unless I have some hash browns to sop up my egg yolk with. So like many of you, I tried to make my own, never achieving the results I wanted. You know, I preferred Waffle House hash browns to anything I made. That is, until I tried blanching the potatoes first, and bingo, I had found a recipe that bested any that I had tried before. I would go so far to say, that though they are a little different than Waffle House, they're better. Give'em a try and tell me what you think.

Note: It is important to realize that these recipes are merely guidelines to follow. They'll taste great as they are, but I encourage you to play with them and make the recipes your own.

Note: It is good practice to read the entire recipe, while paying particular attention to the "Notes", before you try to make the dish, as there are often subtleties that can be easily overlooked, which sometimes, can make all the difference in the world for the outcome. 

Serves 2

Skill Level: Intermediate

Prep time to make blanched potatoes 20 minutes
Cook time to brown hash browns 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized potatoes.
• 2 tlbs butter
• 3 tlbs vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper

Equiptment 

• Knife or V-Slicer (as pictured.)
• Medium stock pot for boiling water.

Julienne the potatoes.

Rinse the potatoes under cold water. 

Strain. Keep rinsing, using process until water is clear.

While rinsing the potatoes, get the medium stockpot full of water, leaving enough room for the potatoes, to a rolling boil.

You have rinsed the potatoes enough, when the water looks like this.

You can blanch and keep them for up to a week. You can store them in a freezer bag. You can also place a high quality folded napkin in with the potatoes to help absorb any extra moister.

When the water has come to a boil, add the salt.

Note: I don't know if this is actually true, but they say if you add the salt before the water is boiling, it can cause the pan's metal to begin pitting, which could eventually lead to leak. 

Add potatoes. Blanch for a minute or two. Don't overcook. A good rule of thumb is when the water comes back to a rolling boil, the potatoes are done. But this depends on how many BTU's of heat energy you stove top outputs. If it is low, you may need to remove the potatoes before it reaches a boil. You want the potatoes to look a little translucent, but still be firm.

Strain.

Rinse with cold water until potatoes are completely cooled.

Strain again and pat potatoes dry in napkins.

Note: The hash browns will turn out even better is if you refrigerate the blanched potatoes over night.

Let butter and oil heat up on medium heat.

Note: You know the pan is ready when the butter has stopped sizzling.

Note: Adding a little oil to the butter raises the burn temp of the butter, so that, you can cook at higher temps for longer without burning the butter.

Add potatoes to the hot pan.

Brown the potatoes.

Now you can scatter, smother, cover, chunk, dice, and top them with anything you like.