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My mother’s hash browns came out of the skillet in one big golden cake, crunchy on both sides and soft and white in the middle, the same as the ones at the diner on the highway where my father took us on Saturday mornings. When I first tried to make them myself, mine were grey, steaming and limp, and they stuck together in a gummy pile. I called her and described what I had done, and she stopped me after about ten seconds. You skipped the towel, she said. She was right, and I have never skipped it since.
A potato is mostly water. When you grate it, that water floods out, and if it goes into the skillet with the potato, the shreds steam in it instead of frying. The steam turns them grey and glues them together with their own starch. My mother rinsed the grated potato once in cold water to wash off the loose starch, then piled it into the middle of a clean kitchen towel, twisted the towel tight over the sink and wrung it until no more water came out. Then she wrung it again. Dry shreds in a hot pan with butter and oil, pressed flat once, left alone until the bottom was deep brown, one flip. That is the whole thing.
Why this crispy hash browns works
- Rinse, then wring. Rinsing washes away the surface starch that makes the shreds gluey. Wringing in a towel removes the water that makes them steam.
- Russet potatoes. Starchy russets fry up crisp and fluffy. Waxy red potatoes stay soft and dense.
- Butter and oil together. The butter gives the flavor and the golden color, and the oil keeps the butter from burning at a high heat.
- Hands off. The crust forms only when the potatoes sit still against the hot pan. Every poke and stir lets steam back in.
Ingredients
Makes one 10 to 12 inch skillet of hash browns, 4 servings. The measurements are in US cups and pounds with grams in brackets.
For the hash browns
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (900g), about 4 medium
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (30ml), plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion (40g), optional
Peel the potatoes or leave the skins on, both work. A clean, lint-free cotton kitchen towel or a thin flour-sack towel wrings best. A cast iron skillet gives the deepest crust.
How to make crispy hash browns
- Peel the potatoes if you like and grate them on the large holes of a box grater straight into a bowl of cold water.
- Swish the shreds around, then drain them in a colander. The water will be cloudy with starch.
- Pile half the shreds into the middle of a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and twist the towel tight over the sink. Keep twisting and squeezing until no more water drips out. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.
- Spread the dry shreds on a plate, season with the salt and pepper and toss in the onion if using.
- Heat a 10 to 12 inch cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and oil and heat until the butter foams and the foam starts to settle.
- Add the potatoes and spread them into an even layer about half an inch thick. Press down once with the back of a spatula.
- Now leave them alone. Cook without stirring or lifting for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and the bottom is brown and crisp.
- Slide a wide spatula under the cake and turn it over in one go, or in quarters if that is easier. Add a little more oil around the edges if the pan looks dry.
- Cook the second side for 5 to 7 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Slide onto a plate, sprinkle with a little more salt and serve at once.
Tips that make the difference
- Wring twice. The second squeeze always finds more water than you expect.
- Do not crowd a small pan. If the layer is thicker than half an inch, the middle steams. Cook in two batches instead.
- Wait for the fat to be properly hot before the potatoes go in. They should sizzle loudly the second they touch the pan.
- Salt right before cooking, never ahead. Salt draws more water out of the shreds.
Variations
- Smothered. Scatter sauteed onions over the top after the flip, the way the diners do.
- Cheesy. Sprinkle a handful of shredded cheddar over the cooked side for the last 2 minutes and cover the pan to melt it.
- Patties. Shape the dry shreds into small patties and fry them 4 minutes a side for easy portions.
- Peppers. Add a little finely diced green bell pepper with the onion for a western-style hash brown.
Storage and make-ahead
Hash browns are best the minute they leave the pan. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recrisp leftovers in a hot dry skillet or in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The microwave makes them soft.
You can grate, rinse and wring the potatoes up to an hour ahead. Keep the dry shreds covered with a damp paper towel in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my hash browns grey and soggy?
There was too much water in the potatoes. Rinse the shreds, then wring them in a kitchen towel until no more water comes out. Wet potatoes steam; dry potatoes fry.
Why do my hash browns turn grey before cooking?
Grated potato darkens in the air. Grating straight into cold water stops it, and the rinse washes off the starch at the same time.
What potatoes are best for hash browns?
Russets. Their high starch makes them crisp on the outside and fluffy inside.
When should I flip hash browns?
Only when the bottom is deep brown and the edges look crisp, usually 6 to 8 minutes. Lift one edge just once to check, then flip the whole thing.
Grate, rinse, wring, wring again, and then keep your spatula to yourself. The potatoes know what to do.
Crispy Hash Browns (The Dish Towel Trick for Diner-Style Potatoes)
How to make crispy hash browns at home: grated russet potatoes rinsed and wrung dry in a kitchen towel, cooked in butter and oil in a hot skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes a side without touching them.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (900g), about 4 medium
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (30ml), plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion (40g), optional
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes if you like and grate them on the large holes of a box grater straight into a bowl of cold water.
- Swish the shreds around, then drain them in a colander. The water will be cloudy with starch.
- Pile half the shreds into the middle of a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and twist the towel tight over the sink. Keep twisting and squeezing until no more water drips out. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.
- Spread the dry shreds on a plate, season with the salt and pepper and toss in the onion if using.
- Heat a 10 to 12 inch cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and oil and heat until the butter foams and the foam starts to settle.
- Add the potatoes and spread them into an even layer about half an inch thick. Press down once with the back of a spatula.
- Now leave them alone. Cook without stirring or lifting for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and the bottom is brown and crisp.
- Slide a wide spatula under the cake and turn it over in one go, or in quarters if that is easier. Add a little more oil around the edges if the pan looks dry.
- Cook the second side for 5 to 7 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Slide onto a plate, sprinkle with a little more salt and serve at once.
