POTATO HASH BROWNS

Hash browns are a golden masterpiece of crispy, starchy goodness, and the science behind their irresistible texture is all about starch, moisture, and Maillard magic. When you grate potatoes and cook them, the surface starches gelatinise with heat and then, thanks to drying and browning, undergo the Maillard reaction, that delicious chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that gives hash browns their signature crispy crust and rich, nutty flavour.

Why are they so damn delicious? It’s the contrast of crunchy outside and soft inside, combined with the toasty, slightly sweet and savoury notes. The starch in the potato cells swells up and then toasts, creating that satisfying crunch, while inside remains fluffy and tender.

Tricks to making cracking hash browns at home:

  1. Squeeze the moisture out: After grating your spuds, chuck them in a clean tea towel and squeeze like you’re wringing out rain soaked socks. Less moisture means crispier hash browns because water steams otherwise crispy bits.

  2. Parboil or soak: Soak grated potatoes in cold water for 20-30 minutes or briefly parboil to leach out excess starch, then dry thoroughly. This stops them going gluey and helps crispen up.

  3. Press and don't crowd: Form rounds and press them gently to compact, then cook in a hot oil without crowding.

POTATO HASH BROWNS

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POTATO HASH BROWNS 〰️

Time: 1 hour hands one + 1 hour/overnight freezing

Serve 15-18 hash browns

1.5kg large white potaotes

1 table spoon white pepper

Big pinch of salt

1 egg

Corn starch, amount will vary

2 litres canola oil

Flaky sea salt

Peel the potatoes and then using a cheese grater, grate the potato into a bowl. In the sink, add in cold water and then massage the potatoes through allowing to removing all the starch. The starch is white stuff coming out the potatoes. Conitnue this process until the water runs clear when mixed with grate potato. Strain the potato and then wrap in a tea towel to help remove any extra moisture.

In a fresh bowl add in the dried potato with salt, white pepper and the egg. Using one hand mix everything together before you begin to add in the corn starch. The salt will help draw a little moisture out which will help come together with the corn starch to make it sticky. Keep adding corn starch until you can mould a puck in your hand and it stays together.

You can shape two different ways. 

Option 1:

One way is pushing the mixture into a line small tray into one even ayer and freezing minimum 1 hour (preferably overnight). Then the next day heating the back of the tray with a blow torch and then using a serrated and sharp knife cutting out really clean triangles for a more elevated hash brown. It’s a little hard when its frozen, so give it a second to melt a little bit and then start frying immediately, keeping the other cut pieces in the freezer whilst the rest fry.

Option 2:

This is the easier option, shape the hash brown until pucks in your hand, similar shapes to McDonalds ones, and place onto a line tray. Then freeze for minimum 1 hour (preferably overnight), ready to be added into oil immediately.

When ready to fry add canola oil to a pot and bring to 200 degrees Celsius. Add in 4-5 hash brown at a time and then fry for 10-12 minutes, or until the bubbles subside and the hash brown have a wonderful golden colour to them. Try to keep the temperature between 180-190 degrees Celsius hone frying because it will drop when the hash brown enter since they’re cold so starting higher is great to combat that drop.

Once fried add to plate with paper towel and finish with a load of flaky sea salt.