The weather is not cooperating today. December is supposed to be cold and we're stuck under competing systems that keep the temps high and muggy. It is 70F out there right now and so muggy that the carport is sweating.
I've got the turkey carcass from Christmas that needs to be used, so I dropped it in a stock pot and boiled it until it fell completely apart. I dredged out the carcass and it's cooling on the counter. When it cools, I'll pick it clean and start making a turkey gumbo. Yeah, it's too hot for gumbo, but I have to do something with that carcass, and gumbo freezes well.
While I was at the grocers getting veggies for the gumbo, I picked up a few russet potatoes. I've never had any luck with hashbrown potatoes, and I wanted to experiment. So, like all chefs these days, I went to YouTube and looked around. YouTube is amazing for this kind of thing. You can find anything on it if you dig a bit.
I went with this one.
And they turned out okay, but not what I'm looking for. So, I'll keep playing with the recipe until I find something I like. I might experiment with home fries as well.After all the experimentation, what I'll probably do is simply go back to those pre-formed hashbrown patties that the grocer keep in the frozen food section. It's a whole lot easier to cook those than it is to grate and prep your own potatoes.
I buy the pre-shredded hash browns from the frozen foods section. Grease a skillet (preferably by cooking bacon in it - save some of the grease, but leave a couple of tablespoons in the pan.) and dump a glob of shredded frozen potatoes in it. Other than salt and pepper, leave the stupid things alone over medium heat until the bottom layer is starting to get nice and brown.
ReplyDeleteTurn once, to brown the other side. Slide onto a plate and serve.
Key point is medium heat, so you don't burn the bottom until the heat is able to work its way up through the mess. and patience. You can't rush them.
MC
Olive oil can get bitter at high heat, so use a different oil or be extra careful not to get it too hot.
ReplyDeleteDraining the potatoes in a strainer is better than the paper towel thing, because when you let the liquid settle, the starch sinks. Pour off the clearer liquid and mix the starch back in.
You can also borrow an idea from latkes and grate some onion in with the potato before you get the excess water out.
Or make latkes. This looks about right:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/potato-latkes-104406