I accidentally tripled the recipe (not a bad problem to have more potatoes….) and I got tired of shaping the patties almost immediately. I remembered that I had a plastic onigiri shaper and now I have cutie little triangle hash browns to freeze for later!
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Hash Brown Patties
In the last year or so, I’ve decided that I am a Hash Brown Person. I like them with fried eggs, kimchi fried rice, or, more likely, just a dollop of ketchup. If I can, I always order them instead of home fries. The texture just speaks to me — the crispy, almost translucent ends and edges, the soft shredded potato inside. I love them thin and lacy, but also as these patties, thick and with even more texture. The only thing I don’t like about hash browns is that I find them a pain in the neck to make. The grating, the squeezing, the frying in several batches. I usually resort to buying them frozen, and then feel like a bit of a failure.
Which is why I’m so excited about these. They still require the same grating and squeezing of the potatoes, but because you pack them into a small-ish patty, you can cook them in a much smaller amount of oil and flip them easily, and they feel much less fussy than a big round of hash browns. The trick of grating the potato and then rinsing it until the water runs clear (this removes a lot of starch) and then pressing it absolutely dry (I used a salad spinner and then wrung it dry in a dishtowel) is worth the effort for how much crisper your results will be. I made a batch a couple weeks ago and couldn’t stop eating them. The potato shreds are so incredibly crunchy on the outside, then tender but still a little springy on the inside. They don’t just taste like any old potato; they taste like *hash browns*. They taste like the best hash browns. Make a batch, keep them in the fridge, warm them in a toaster oven for breakfast. That’s definitely my plan.
Hash Brown Patties
Ingredients
- 1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 tablespoons neutral oil, divided, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Peel and grate potatoes on the large holes of a box grater. Place grated potatoes in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Agitate with your hands and then drain well. Repeat this process until water runs clear.
- Transfer potatoes to a salad spinner and spin them until as dry as you can get them, 30 seconds or more. Alternatively, transfer potatoes to a clean kitchen towel and wring them dry over the sink; you want them very, very dry.
- Return potatoes to bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt and a grinding of black pepper.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Use your hands to press about 1/4 cup potato mixture into a compact patty. Repeat with remaining potato mixture, pressing it as firmly as you can so patties hold together.
- Cook patties, in batches if needed (add remaining tablespoon oil if doing a second batch), until deeply golden brown and crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and season immediately with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
Do ahead: Cooked hash browns can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a toaster oven, a hot (400F) oven, or a skillet until re-crisped and hot through.
