- Today, you're gonna learn the secret
to perfect crispy hash browns.
Check this out.
(upbeat music)
Hey everybody, it's Natasha of natashaskitchen.com.
We are making hash browns,
one of my favorite breakfast foods.
I love potatoes, and this really is the easiest recipe.
Also, if you haven't already,
make sure, make sure you subscribe to our channel,
and when you do, click that bell icon
so you'll get notifications every time we post a recipe.
Plus, we're playing a game.
Let me know if you can find Sharky somewhere in this video.
I think we did a good job of hiding him this time.
So let me know in the comments when you see him.
And I'm craving some hash browns, so let's get started.
The most common potatoes for making hash browns
are russet potatoes,
also called Idaho potatoes or baking potatoes.
Peel your potatoes,
then grate them on the large holes of a box grater.
To contain the mess,
I do like to set my box grater over a large mixing bowl
and grate right into the bowl.
Just make sure you're grating on the large holes,
otherwise, the potatoes will turn to mush.
Here's a quick safety tip.
To keep from slicing my fingers,
I do love these safety gloves,
and I will link to these in the recipe notes.
(upbeat music)
Ooh, it's so easy
(giggles)
Potatoes do release quite a bit of liquid,
so once you have all of your potatoes grated,
it's important to squeeze out all the excess liquid.
Now, there are several ways
to squeeze out the excess liquid.
First, you can just use your hands.
Grab fistfuls of potatoes
and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Another tool you can use is a potato ricer.
This is the same tool we use to make our gnocchi recipe.
But this is probably my least favorite method.
I find I don't get quite as much juice squeezed out
and it's a lot more work.
Now, for my favorite method
because it gets all the water out all at once
and it's the easiest.
Place a cheesecloth over a large mixing bowl
and add the grated potatoes.
You can also use a thin tea towel.
Just keep in mind, the potatoes can stain a kitchen towel.
Now, wrap the potatoes tightly in the cheesecloth
and squeeze the ball of potatoes
to get as much liquid out as you can.
Squeezing the potatoes is a crucial step
and it will ensure you have the crispiest hash browns.
It not only releases extra liquid,
but it also helps remove some of the starch,
which can make your hash browns gummy.
And it's strangely satisfying
to see how much liquid you can get out of those potatoes.
Transfer the drained potatoes to a mixing bowl
and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder.
The onion powder adds great depth of flavor
and I think it's better than using fresh chopped onions
because they won't burn in the skillet.
Stir that together.
And that's the only seasoning we're adding at this point.
I like to add the salt and pepper later
so the potatoes don't release any more juice.
Now, it's important to use the right size of skillet,
depending on how many potatoes you wanna cook.
If the layer of potatoes is too thick,
it won't crisp up properly.
I'm using a 10-inch cast iron skillet
for 1 1/4 pound of potatoes.
Preheat your skillet over medium heat,
then add one tablespoon of oil or bacon fat
and a tablespoon of butter.
Now add your potatoes, spreading them into an even layer.
It should be about 1/3 inch thick.
Let the potatoes saute undisturbed
without stirring for six minutes over medium heat
or until the bottom of the potatoes are browned and crisped.
Do keep an eye on them, though.
If they start to brown too quickly,
you may need to reduce the heat.
Just before flipping the potatoes,
sprinkle the top with salt and pepper to taste.
All right, these are golden brown and crispy
on the first side and it's time to flip.
Now, it can be challenging to flip one large pancake,
so what I like to do is use a pizza cutter
to cut the hash brown in half, then flip them over.
You can also cut them into fourths
if you want four individual servings.
You can see, if you wait until those potatoes
are nicely browned up,
they should be fairly nonstick and really easy to flip.
Drizzle one tablespoon of oil or bacon fat
around the edges of the hash browns.
Also, dot the edges with butter.
That extra grease
will travel to the center of the hash browns
and help that bottom to crisp up beautifully.
Season the top with a little more salt and pepper to taste
and saute for about another six minutes
or until the potatoes are golden brown
and crisp on the second side.
(upbeat music)
(chuckles)
I just love potatoes.
Where are my potato fans, come on?
(laughs)
My husband's got both arms in the air.
All right, now, all that's left to do is the taste test.
And I do love to add a little bit of color to this
with some fresh chives.
And remember, there's some onion powder in the potatoes,
so it goes really well together.
And these are actually chives from our very own garden.
(chuckles)
Let me know if you guys are into gardening
or what you're planting this year.
Lots of onion.
Okay, and I also have my bacon cooked up.
And make sure you don't miss the tutorial
that we just posted
about how to make the perfect bacon with zero mess.
Seriously, this is gonna become your new favorite method.
And it is so crisp and crunchy,
just the perfectly cooked bacon, okay?
Perfect also with hash browns.
All right, we're gonna jump right into this taste test
'cause I am hungry.
This is great for breakfast,
but right now, it's technically lunch, being noon,
so we're gonna dig in.
And I wanna show you this texture
because these are truly crisp on the outside
and so moist and juicy inside,
just the perfect hash browns.
So, let me just show you a bite.
And exactly what I'm talking about.
Take a look inside.
See how moist and tender that is in the center
and crisp on the outside,
so you've got that little crunchy bite
when you bite into it.
I'll show ya.
You hear that?
Mm, oh.
(giggles)
It's so good.
Oh.
All this needs is a little bit of ketchup.
I love hash browns with ketchup.
Who else?
Let me know in the comments.
This is gonna be the perfect brunch,
that's what it is.
I'm gonna go enjoy this with my husband
and I might just share my bacon with him, too.
(chuckles)
I hope you guys love this.
Let me know if you spotted Sharky in our video.
Let me know in the comments
and we'll see you in our next episode of Natasha's Kitchen.
Mine!
(chuckles)
To serve the hash browns...
(chuckles)
just totally winging it right now.
Let's see what happens.
Hey, oh, oh, oh.
(Natasha vocalizing)
(laughs)
It worked.
Yeah, look at that, crispy, crispy, crispy,
like laced with crunch.
The best.
Here you go dear.
- [Cameraman] That's for you.
- Ooh.