Hashed Brown Potatoes
From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis
| Serves | 2 |
Introduction
Universally popular, hashed browns are a fine accompaniment to all manner of main dishes. Serve them for breakfast with egg dishes or pair them with an elegant grilled tenderloin steak; they do well in casual or dress-up clothes, so to speak! Hashed browns can be several different things in America, among them: grated, uncooked potatoes formed into patties and sautéed; cooked potatoes grated while warm, formed into patties or large pancake shapes and sautéed; raw peeled or unpeeled potatoes coarsely chopped and sautéed; and leftover cooked potatoes, coarsely chopped and sautéed. We’ve tried them all and most often choose the latter style.
Ingredients
| 2 to 3 | russet potatoes (1 to 1½ pounds), baked or boiled until tender | |
| 3 | Tbsp. unsalted butter or vegetable oil | |
| ~ | Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste |
Steps
- Coarsely chop cooked potatoes (we usually leave on the skins). Heat butter or oil over medium-high heat in a 10- or 12-inch frying pan. Add potatoes and cook until they have browned a little on the bottom. Turn potatoes using a stiff spatula, scraping any brown residue from the bottom. Cook potatoes until they brown further, turning and mixing occasionally. When potatoes are browned to your liking, add salt and pepper.
Notes
- A heavyweight nonstick frying pan makes turning potatoes easier; on the other hand, they tend to brown fastest in a cast iron skillet or other heavyweight plain metal frying pan.
- Add 1 cup coarsely chopped or diced yellow onions. Toss with potatoes before cooking.
- Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs of your choice.
- Sprinkle 1 cup shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese over browned potatoes and broil until cheese is bubbly.
- Add 1 to 2 cups coarsely chopped leftover cooked meat or poultry, 1 rib sliced or diced celery, and 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion. The resulting hash is a main dish on its own; season any way you like. Try served with a poached egg on top and ketchup bottle at the ready!
This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.