Easy Diner-Style Breakfast Hashbrowns

I love hashbrowns! And surprisingly, around where I live, most breakfast joints serve homefries, and the ones that do serve hashbrowns, they almost never come out right. What is right, you ask? It is when the top and bottom are both golden and crunchy, while the insides are moist, soft, and meaty. It is heaven to me when I know that as soon as I crack open the golden shell, steam will come rushing out, and what awaits me is the generous juicy portion of shred potatoes that are perfectly cooked...

Anyway, enough about my daydream! I have learned years ago to make my own. After many trials and errors, I would like to say that I can actually make decent hashbrowns at home! The basic recipe is very simple, it's the process that one has to pay attention to. So I would like to share with you here how I make my easy diner-style hashbrowns! Read on for the tutorial!




Easy Diner-Style Breakfast Hashbrowns!

Serves 4

2 medium to large potatoes, peeled
oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste

you'd need: cheesecloth, grater with 1/4 holes, one large bowl, large non-stick pan

1.  Cover the cutting board completely with a folded piece of cheesecloth. Grate all the potatoes directly onto the cheesecloth.

2.  When finish grating, heat about 1/4 cup of oil in pan over medium-high heat.

3.  While the pan is heating, gather up the four corners of the cheesecloth into a sack (with the shredded potato inside), and twist and squeeze out as much liquids as you can.** This step is extremely important! The shredded potato needs to be very dry in order to fry properly!!**

4.  Put the dried shredded potato in the large bowl and discard the cheesecloth. At this point, the oil will start to smoke slightly, it's time to start frying!

5.  Using your hand, grab a handful of the potato (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup) and drop it into the oil. Lightly salt your potatoes at this point. My pan is only big enough for two scoops, so I fry them in batches.

6.  Once the potatoes are in the pan, do not move or touch them for at least 5 mins. After which, the bottom should turn golden, now use a spatula to flip them over. Cook for another 4-5 mins.

7.  When both sides are golden brown, remove them from pan and drain them on paper towels for a couple of minutes, then serve with your favorite eggs, meats and condiments!

Happy Breakfast! :)

Note: Don't forget to clean out the pan and replenish adequate amount of oil after every batch! I know it seems like a lot of oil, but using less will result in partly burnt and not-golden hashbrowns!