Lacy Crisp German Style Hash Browns Recipes

CLASSIC HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Shred potatoes into a large bowl filled with cold water. Stir until water is cloudy, drain, and cover potatoes again with fresh cold water. Stir again to dissolve excess starch. Drain potatoes well, pat dry with paper towels, and squeeze out any excess moisture.
• Heat clarified butter in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Sprinkle shredded potatoes into the hot butter and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
• Cook potatoes until a brown crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir until potatoes are browned all over, about 5 more minutes.

LACY CRISP GERMAN-STYLE HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• PEEL 3 medium russet potatoes.
• GRATE potatoes using a medium grate on a hand-held grater, or use a food processor with a grate attachment.
• SQUEEZE out excess water (but not too much); TOSS potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
• ADD grated potatoes, 1 tablespoon grated white onion, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher salt), 1 dash ground white pepper, 1 pinch freshly nutmeg; COMBINE potatoes with ingredients until well-combined.
• HEAT enough butter in a on-stick skillet to fry potatoes, over moderate heat.
• ADD desired amount of potato mixture into skillet with melted butter, forming into a patty shape without pressing too hard, using a spatula.
• FRY potatoes slowly until golden and crisped on one side; TURN hash browns carefully with spatula: CONTINUE to fry until golden and crisped.
• PLACE cooked hash browns on a plate with absorbent paper, covering to keep warm until served.
• SERVE hash browns as they are, or add a sprinkle of salt or other seasoning if desired, or with ketchup and/or sour cream (my German friend serves hers with sour cream -- but the closest I had for my photo was creamed horseradish!).
• ENJOY hash browns as a breakfast or dinner side dish.

HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Have ready a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Grate potatoes and shallots on large holes of a box grater or with a food processor fitted with the grating blade. Transfer to a piece of cheesecloth or clean dishcloth; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place in a bowl, add herbs, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Drop 1/4 cup of the mixture into the skillet; gently press to form a patty about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat until there are six patties in the skillet. Cook until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Place in oven to keep warm. Wipe out pan; pour in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Repeat process with remaining potato mixture; serve.

CRISPY HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Prepare the hash browns: Peel the potatoes, then use a box grater to shred them lengthwise into long strands, then place them immediately into a large bowl of cold water to prevent them from oxidizing. Pour out the water, add a second round of cold water until the shredded potatoes are immersed, and let them sit for about 5 minutes.
• While the potatoes soak, prepare the crème fraîche: Add crème fraîche, dill and lemon zest to a medium bowl and whisk until aerated, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt; refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Strain the potatoes, then use a cheesecloth or towel to squeeze out any excess water (or tightly grip them by the fistful, squeezing any liquid into the sink), transferring potatoes to a large bowl. Season shredded potatoes with the Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder and a generous amount of kosher salt. (If you notice a little excess water in your bowl, feel free to pour it out.) Mix until everything is incorporated and then shape the mixture into 8 patties, patting them firmly until compact.
• Once you have your hash browns shaped and ready, divide 3 tablespoons canola oil between 2 large nonstick or cast-iron pans and heat over medium. Gently add 4 hash browns to each pan, using a spatula to sculpt the edges of each hash brown so they're rounded like hockey pucks. Cook, undisturbed, until golden-brown and crisp underneath, about 5 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low if browning too quickly. Carefully flip the hash browns, adding about 1 tablespoon of oil to each pan (or more, if needed), and cook over medium until the second side is golden-brown, another 3 to 5 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low if browning too quickly.
• Once the hash browns are golden on both sides, working with 1 pan at a time, add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 2 thyme sprigs to the pan and cook over medium, tilting the pan slightly and using a spoon to baste the thyme-scented butter over the hash browns, about 1 minute.
• Turn heat off and transfer butter-basted hash browns to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to absorb any excess oil. Repeat basting step with the remaining hash browns, butter and thyme sprigs.
• Garnish with chives and serve with crème fraîche.

GERMAN-STYLE ROASTED HASH BROWNS HOMEMADE

Steps:

• Peel and slice potatoes into 1/2-inch strips. Place the strips in a bowl of cold water as they are cut to prevent them from getting brown.
• Drain and pat the potato strips dry. Pour oil to a depth of 3/4 inch into a large, heavy cast-iron skillet and heat until close to boiling. Divide potatoes into 3 batches and fry each batch separately; each batch should take about 10 minutes. Remove potatoes with slotted spoon or strainer and drain on paper towels. When potatoes have cooled, cut strips into 1/4-inch dice.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a clean heavy skillet. When the oil is hot and begins to sizzle, add the chopped onions, paprika and salt. Saute over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, or until the onions start to soften and brown.
• Melt the butter in a large ovenproof pan or skillet. Add the potatoes and onions, and mix together well. Saute over medium-high heat until browned and then season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast 10-15 minutes, until crisp.

CRISPY RESTAURANT-STYLE HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Rinse shredded potatoes in a colander with cold water until water runs clear. Place in a cheesecloth or clean dish towel and twist tightly to squeeze out all moisture.
• Place potatoes in a bowl with onion, flour, salt, and pepper. Add egg and mix thoroughly.
• Heat oil in a shallow, cast iron frying pan. Add potato mixture to the hot oil to form either on large or several smaller pancakes. Cook until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel and serve hot.